


Time Waits for the Bakugous

by OhShnapples



Category: Toki o Kakeru Shoujo | The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Angst, Btw this is not omegaverse the kids are from a surrogate, Dad Bakugou, Dad Deku, Deku Dies, Disabled Deku, Fluff, I only used the leaping in time concept, Kirikami is just a side ship the main show is bakudeku, M/M, Pining, Regret, Self-Hatred, Spread that OC love, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, basically the Bakugou babies go back in time to save daddy deku, doesn't have much to do with the movie tbh
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2019-04-12
Packaged: 2019-05-25 09:49:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14974622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OhShnapples/pseuds/OhShnapples
Summary: "Um can you please stop straddling Red Riot-san he's literally 30 years older than you.""FUCK OFF WE'RE BOTH TECHNICALLY SIXTEEN!!!"Or that universe where Bakugou and Midoriya's clever/quirkless son and explosive daughter leap three decades back in time to apprehend their father's killer.





	1. Magic Hands

 

_Fucking fuck me in the ass **where** is that goddamn electromagnetic-_

  
“Kaito? Kaito honey dinner!”

  
_-I was so close to finishing those turbulence deflectors why-_

  
“KAITO YOU BETTER GET YOUR GODDAMN ASS UP HERE OR DAD AND I OUTTA-”

“I'm coming I'm coming!” He may as well cater to his family’s demands for now. A break couldn’t hurt could it? Though he had to admit, his lack of progress lately was frustrating. “Just give me a minute!”

Kaito rolled back on his wheeled chair and stretched his arm muscles for a bit before standing up.

 _Shit I really wanted to finish up early too_.

He glanced around his workshop while slipping off his goggles and gloves.

 _Maybe I need to organize the place a bit more? So that I can find things easier_.

That however, would be impossible. Kaito was a perfectionist down to the bone. Every  rusted nail and screwdriver had a specific place in his disturbingly spotless workspace (also known as the Bakugou family basement, though Kaito preferred addressing it by the former term).

“KAITO I SWEAR TO GOD IT WAS A MINUTE FIVE FUCKING MINUTES AGO.”

His lovely sister was probably throwing a hangry fit again. Sigh.

“I said I'm coming!” Green eyes scoured the area. Just one more glance to make sure everything was in check.

His father’s stern voice traveled through walls. “Ichika, no swearing at the dinner table.”

“WHAT? SO I CAN’T SWEAR IN MY OWN GODDAMN HOUSE WHILE THE OLD MAN IS FREE TO SAY WHATEVER THE FUCK HE WANTS ON LIVE TELEVISION!!??”

Kaito hurried his way up the steps and jogged into the living room. Did he get there so quickly because of a slight fear of his sixteen-year-old-screaming-banshee-of-a-sister? No… no he didn't. At least, he'd tell you so were you to ask.

“Here dad lemme help you with that.”

The green haired man stopped struggling from his wheelchair, glancing back at a thirteen year old holding his hand out expectantly. Pausing for a second, Izuku handed him his plates. “Oh Kaito, I don't know what I'd do without you and your magic hands,” he chuckled.

That's what dad always called Kaito’s hands, magical.

  
_“They'd be a lot more magical if they had a quirk,”_ _mumbled a five year old Bakugou Kaito, who had just finished fixing the TV._

_It took him a considerable amount of time but somehow, he managed to ram his sweaty hands through the tangled wires to get it up and running again._

  
_“No no no they're definitely magical enough.” The freckled man knelt down and held the toddler’s hands, making sure to lock the pudgy digits with his own scarred fingers. “Not even your hero daddies could do something like that.”_

“Why the fuck do we always leave the TV on during dinner? All that noise is pissing me off.” Ichika plopped onto her chair and continued to stab a considerable amount of protein with her chopsticks.

“Funny for you to fucking say…” Kaito mumbled under his breath.

Maybe he was being a little pissy today, but you know what? He deserved to have some attitude every once in a while too.

“HAH??? You got something to say hotshot?” She leaned forward menacingly, “Also why the fuck are you cussing you lil bitch?”

“You cuss all the time!”

This was hardly fair. Didn't he deserve the right to express strong displeasure? For some reason, Ichika felt entitled towards "older sister privileges” or whatever that meant. She was born three years earlier. Big whoop.

“You're not allowed to say shit cus the old man and I do all the cussing for the four of us right Dad?” She turned to the tired man who never volunteered to partake in sibling antagonism.

Izuku took a slow sip of water and sighed, “You know I would appreciate it if there would be less profanity in this house in general. But Kaito...” he furrowed his eyebrows, “you okay? I can't say the same for your sister or father, but you-you don't cuss very much.”

“I'm fine…it's just that the UA exams are a year away and-and I wanna build something _really_ cool to show off to the support course y-you know? I mean THE Hatsume Mei is gonna be there so I _really_ wanna have something...”

“Amazing?” Izuku wore a gentle smile, eyes crinkling at the ends.

Kaito picked at his rice and nodded, “...yeah.” Maybe he was being childish, but a simple acceptance into UA wasn’t enough. He needed to be the best. He had to make it in indisputably. Only then would no one would question why a quirkless kid walked through those halls.

“Honey I've known Hatsume for many years and I know for a fact that she’ll lo-”

Izuku was cut off by a jiggling lock, followed by the front door slamming open.

“FOR THE LAST TIME SHITTY HAIR I’M NOT DOING THE INTERVIEW WITH THAT GOSSIPY BITCH...NO NO I DON’T CARE ABOUT HER REVIEWS-” Katsuki glanced at the curious gazes of his family. “FUCK IT I’M HANGING UP!” He proceeded to shove the phone into his pocket and threw the keys aside.

“Is the Hero Association still pressing about the interview?” Izuku's eyes narrowed, inquisitive.

“Yeah,” Katsuki huffed and sat down at the dinner table, “they won't stop bitchin’ about it.”

The media was often a pain in the ass. Nosy reporters always picked apart the smallest remarks or actions, then fabricated some ridiculous story.

“Maybe you should go…” Izuku began to mumble to himself, pressing a pensive finger to his lips. “Think of it as a chance to reassure the public. Image is important for the number one hero-”

“Bitch is nothing but trouble. I'd honestly interview anyone else BUT her.” He waved his chopsticks with disdain, then started to eat.

Ichika took the moment of silence as a chance to interrupt, “Was that Red Riot Senpai on the phone? Can you ask him to PLEASE visit UA??? He can stop by and teach a lesson! Come on ya gotta do this for me old man PLEASEEE???” Her ruby eyes widened and glimmered. It was the classic, almost cutesy, “I want something” stare.

“Eijirou is way too fucking old for you give it up.”

“I know that,” she sneered, face reverting back into her bitch pout. “I just wanna closer look that's all I promise.”

“Bullshit.”

“YOU KNOW WHAT OLD MAN I’M A GODDAMN WOMAN AND-”

**Rrrriiingggggg. Rrrriiiinngggggg.**

Katsuki mumbled a string of curses consisting of “probably shitty hair” and “too late for this bullshit” while fumbling for his phone.

**Rrrrriiingggg**

He dialed and raised the phone to his ear “WHAT.” His right eye twitched profusely while scowling, until his complexion morphed into one more professional. “I'll be there.” He abruptly stood up and began to make his way back to the door.

“Work?” Izuku smiled, a bit sadly, as he followed his husband through the hall.

It was a bit of a hassle wheeling his chair along, but he wanted to see Kacchan out. Random calls were a common occurrence in the hero world. Izuku knew this. Especially being one himself. At least, he _was_ a hero up until the accident years ago. Now, the “Symbol of Hope” was paralyzed from the legs down. Izuku couldn't help but worry if his absence left a giant weight on Ground Zero’s shoulders.

Someone had to fill the gap from Deku’s retirement.

Someone had to be number one.

_Useless... I’m useless._

As if sensing his husbands distress, Katsuki knelt down and pecked Izuku’s forehead. “Stop pouting I’ll be home in a bit. Probably some minor thugs with way too much fucking free time.” He got up and opened the door, “You kids better be in bed when I get back!”

“Hai!”

“Yeah yeah whatever.”

Katsuki took one last look at his husband, who responded with an assuring wave and shaky smile.

“Come back safely.”

Katsuki nodded, then left.

  
——————————————————————

Kaito laid silently on his bed, basking in the darkness and serenity of the moment. One of Ground Zero’s old gauntlet prototypes rested on his chest. He raised it above his face and began fumbling with it between his fingers.

 _Maybe I should touch up on you a bit. I know you’ve still got some potential in there_.

He sighed, setting it back onto the counter.

_Knock knock_

“Hey…”

_knock_

"Hey nerd.” Ichika whisper shouted from the other side.

_Just play dead she’ll think I’m asleep_

_KNOCK KNOCK_

“Bitch if you think I don’t know you're awake you’re wrong fucker,” she was whispering more aggressively now.

 _Ugh what have I done to deserve this cruel and unusual punishment_.

A reluctant Kaito rolled out of bed and stumbled to the door, cracking it open just a little to peek his eye through. “Ichika, it is literally midnight. I don’t know what the sleep schedule’s like at the dorms but here, we sleep at _nighttime_.” He whispered harshly, keeping in mind their dad who was still fast asleep in the living room,

Ichika responded by wrestling the door open and slipping through. Of course she could muscle past him. Hero course workout regime displayed itself at  inconvenient times.

“I need you to make me support gear.” She shut the door behind her and plopped onto the bed. “Gotta minimize those headaches,” her hands waved in the air deliriously, “they fuck up my rhythm.”

Headaches. Yes headaches. The one side effect of Ichika’s quirk. It made life slightly fair considering how ridiculously overpowered she was. _Telekinetic Explosion_. The ability to spontaneously create explosions from a certain radius with her mind. Though the scale of explosions she could make seemed to get more and more terrifyingly massive over the years.

“I know that I’m fucking awesome okay stop mumbling.”

Kaito blushed, “wha-whatever… why couldn’t you wait until tomorrow to ask me? A-and couldn’t you just ask the support course to make something fo-“

Ichika tsked. “Hell no. If anyone knows my ins and outs, it’s you. Also your tech is better than some of their shit anyways.”

His face brightened. Kaito was a sucker for compliments, especially by someone as impressive as his big sister. But, now when he thinks about it, she probably knows. Fuck. He’s really easily manipulated huh.

“Can you do it or not?”

“Huh? Y-yeah bu-“

“Good. Have it done ASAP.”

Wow, this was actually happening.

“Wait it doesn’t just work like that! Neuroscience is pretty complicated so I’ll need some ti-“

**BANG**

Two heads simultaneously turned towards the source. A once playful atmosphere dropped, accompanied by an ominous sense of dread looming over them.

“It’s from the living room,” Ichika‘s voice was stern and alarmed. She was already bracing herself, body on high alert. Ears perked up and eyebrows narrowed as she spread her legs into a battle stance.

Kaito’s knees began trembling furiously as he gulped, frantic eyes searching his sister’s form for some sign of relief. Any sign indicating that the situation was a false alarm.

His hesitant voice vibrated, “M-maybe it’s just Dad?”

 **CRASH**.

There was the sound of glass shattering, followed by a low grunt of pain.

“SHIT. Stay here and hide imma check on Dad.” She was rushing towards the door, mind already formulating various possible scenarios.

“B-but-“

 **“Oh I don’t think so children~”** an eerily condescending voice singsonged from behind.

“FUCK!”

Wasting no time, Ichika leapt towards her brother and body slammed both of them onto the ground. Less than a second afterwards, a swift pressure grazed past her back and crashed into wooden floors, leaving a nasty crater from impact.

It was a **giant** water-like tentacle. Coiled and dark blue, almost transparent if it weren't for the murky substance scattered within.

**“Ohohoho I’d expect no less~”**

A delirious smile stretched across the villain's face as she licked her lips. Tentacle raised from its position, it morphed back into an arm.

**“I just knew that hero children would be sooo much more fun to play with~”**

She then raised a finger to her bottom lip, tapping it playfully as she mocked a thoughtful expression.

**“Oh but wait a minute…”**

She then pointed the finger to Kaito.

  **“ _You_  don't have a quirk... _do you_? Truly a shame~”**

Shrugging her shoulders, she huffed,  **“Guess that just makes my job easier then.”**

“I don't think so you fucking bitch.”

Ichika jumped into a protective stance in front of her brother, willing an explosion directly at the villains face. For a split second, a tinge of guilt crawled into her heart, wondering if her attack may have been a _bit_ much.

But any hint of remorse faded fast when the gaping hole through the villains head repaired itself, murky liquid quickly reverting back to its original state. A deranged look of utter glee grinned back at her, unscathed. Oh if only she died. If only.

_You've GOT to be shitting me right now. Just my fucking lucky day a FUCKING WATER QUIRK FUCK!_

Her heart was pounding violently, blood surging through her eardrums _._

_Come on come on look for an opening any opening. THINK THINK THINK!_

“Ichika!” Kaito shouted from behind,“Our best shot is regrouping with Dad! It's better to take them on together!”

Their father was downstairs on his own. And judging by several earth shaking tremors, he was fighting at least a villain or two. This was a premeditated assault designed to separate them. Kaito eyed the hero gear scattered on his table. If he could just-

**“No no no children that just won't do. You’re daddy is a very busy man right now~”**

Obnoxious giggling escalated into crazed chokes of laughter. The villain’s figure expanded. At a lightning like speed, her entire body transformed into murky substance, engulfing both children instantly.

**“Now behave and stay nice and quiet for me. If things go to plan, I won't have to kill you today~”**

They were drowning, clawing through for any source of air. It was like desperately trying to swim towards a surface that never came. Ichika attempted to release numerous explosions, anything to break away from their water cage. But no oxygen means no fire.

Eyes squinting through water, siblings shared a final, brief moment of eye contact.

_I don't want to die._

Kaito noticed the stubborn, struggling form of his sister come to a gradual stop.

_I don't want to die._

_I don't want to die_

_**I don’t want to die** _

He craned his neck backwards, noticing a strange purple image in his peripheral.

_A portal?_

Through the haze, his eyes met with familiar, frightened green ones.

_Dad?_

Izuku was frozen. Positioned on top of some stranger, he had one hand gripping said man's throat, while the other was raised, threatening. His arms were bluish purple, fingers jutting out in haphazard angles. A wheelchair laid toppled over nearby, along with numerous scattered remains of furniture and rubble. His dad was still frozen solid, gaze locked on his children. Terrified eyes glossed over, there was a hint of apology mixed within emerald orbs.

_Dad._

Kaito felt his vision turn spotted, giving into overwhelming darkness.

 

________________________________________________________________

 

  
Darkness, flashes of red, and wailing sirens.

~~“His body temperature is low get blankets! Hurry!”~~

Kaito's skin was enveloped by soft, fabric-like texture. Warm hands pressed to his forehead.

More sirens.

~~“Dad! Dad! Let me go! Dad!”~~

Footsteps and murmurs grew louder. His ears were ringing. There was shouting.

~~“Miss, you need to-”~~

**“I SAID LET ME GO!”**

Kaito’s eyes sprung open. His head dazedly turned sideways, eyesight still blurry while assessing his surroundings. After a few brief seconds, his vision cleared, and the commotion in front of him gained more clarity.

_Ichika?_

She was sobbing, flailing her arms and legs. Four men were struggling to hold her back, one of which he recognized instantly.

_Isn’t he Eraserhead?_

It was. Eyes glowing red, the pro hero was wrestling against her. Profuse words of comfort, apologies, and pleas murmured past his lips.

But it all came across as white noise.

“FUCKING GET OFF ME! GET OFF! GET OFF!”

Ichika continued fighting against clusters of arms wrapped around her torso. Voice cracking, she continued to scream and cry.

A new figure made its way towards her direction. Now he was _definitely_ familiar. Spikey blonde hair, blood red eyes, firm strides always walking with purpose.

_Dad._

“You can let go of her now.” His father’s voice was gruff, quiet. Kaito couldn't see his face well from this angle, but judging from his slumped posture, anyone could tell how tired he was.

The men seemed to hesitate for a bit, exchanging a few glances before nodding and releasing their grips. Completely silent, Ichika managed to stumbled forward a couple steps. Legs shook profusely before caving in, body falling forwards with her.

Katsuki caught her just in time however. Strong arms wrapped around her tight, holding on desperately as if she were life support. They were huddled together, trembling.

Centuries seems to have passed before Ichika finally broke the eerie silence.

Her words were so soft.

Kaito almost didn't catch them.

“He-he can’t…” she croaked, smothering her face further into his chest.

“Dad can't do this. H-he can't… he-he can't just _die_ …”

...

  
**_What?_ **

 

 

 

 


	2. An Idiot's Guide to Getting Yourself Killed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaito makes a new friend and almost dies in the process

**_Bakugou Izuku_ **

_Bolded letters inscribed on a hospital plate. It was almost condescending how they glared down at him from above. Yet for Kaito, everything came across as pity nowadays. “So sorry about what happened to your daddy…Deku’s legs? Oh my goodness how awful…Such a great hero too… Do you like mochi sweety? Here buddy take them…”_

_He was nine, not a charity cause._

_“Kaito. Ichika.” His father’s grip became tighter. “We’re going in now okay?” Red eyes inspected his face, double checking for any sign of uncertainty before walking inside._

_The hospital room was completely packed, gift baskets and flowers cluttering every corner. So many stuffed animals and care packages, but Kaito didn’t give them a moment’s notice._

_“Daddy!” Kaito and Ichika ran forwards. Arms out, Izuku pulled them into a warm embrace. Even midst balling his eyes out, the hero still managed to smile. How could he not be happy really? They've been separated for much too long._

_Katsuki watched their reunion from afar, leaning against the entrance with his arms crossed; the kids deserved this moment._

_“I’ve missed you guys so much.” Izuku proceeded to smother their faces with sloppy kisses, adding layers upon layers of affection. There was a lot of lost time to make up for._

_Nose clenching, Ichika furiously wiped away at her snot, disregarding any previous attempt towards putting up a stronger front. “Why'd you have to go through so much surgery? Kaito was gonna piss his pants from worrying so much.” Her sleeves were all sticky now._

_“Th-they w-wouldn’t,” Kaito hiccuped, “they w-wouldn't let us see you. We kept waiting and waiting and waiting and-”_

_“I’m sorry my babies, I'm sorry.” Calloused hands tugged on the bed sheets, making room for all three of them. “I'm not going anywhere baby I'm sorry.”_

 

________________________________________________________________

 

**“I'm sorry for your loss.”**

Kaito’s gaze trailed upwards, carving a lazy path along her form before pausing at round cheeks. Her face was swollen red from tears. Or perhaps, it was natural blush. He couldn't tell, and frankly, he didn't care.

“Your father was- he was the best person I’ve ever known. There’s just, no way of describing him with words while still doing him justice…”

He won't lie to himself, this half hearted attempt towards paying attention was beyond insensitive. Considering her ghost-like appearance, it’s no secret how flat-out devastated this woman is. Yet, so was every other person in the room.

Another frown in a funeral made no difference.

_Ah... I think I know this lady._

Rescue Hero, Uravity. Typically, her presence exuded a powerful, feminine charm; one that lured in followers and drove out villains all at once. Looking back, he’s probably met her numerous times already. Yet for some reason, he didn’t really notice it was her until now.

A hand reached over and tapped Uravity’s shoulder. “Ochako, we should give our condolences to Izuku now -kero. So sorry for interrupting Kaito-kun,” Froppy apologized.

“...A-ah… it’s okay.”

She was an awfully beautiful woman, big eyes and green hair.

_Like Dad_

“Did you say something -kero?” The couple turned towards him, expressions knit with concern. Shit. He probably voiced his thoughts aloud.

“U-umm I said that you liked Dad…I-I mean, I know you were...f-friends.”

He was answered with sad, understanding smiles. Meeting his gaze, they nodded once before turning around again, phasing back into the crowd. The overwhelming mass of people was suffocating. There must've been about a hundred in here: mostly heros, some family, many friends. Not that Kaito noticed, or was aware of his surroundings in general.

His grandma, on the other hand, was difficult _not_ to notice. “Maybe it was selfish of me…” She blew her nose as Katsuki rubbed her back reassuringly. Out of everyone, Inko was most heartbreaking to witness. “I hoped that after he retired… that-that maybe…” Her voice cracked, “-that maybe _I_ could be the one to go first.”

He couldn't watch this. Kaito turned away, hoping to create some distance.

He should’ve moved faster.

“It's my fault.” Dad’s voice was piercing. “If I were home, if I didn't leave them alone… _Fuck_ , mom I'm-I’m…”

Kaito needs to leave _right now_.

He picked up his pace. Barreling through bodies, Kaito took no note of numerous concerned looks thrown his direction. _Fuck_. He didn’t look at it that way before. Of course… of course there was a possibility that this entire fucked up incident could've been avoided.

_If I wasn’t deadweight, if I had super strength like Dad, if I wasn’t completely useless._

**_Why am I so fucking useless?_ **

 

________________________________________________________________

 

He’s not sure when he ended up here—too occupied by his heart pounding from running—but somehow, Kaito was standing at a bustling highway’s center. Glaring traffic lights blinked red as cars zoomed past him.

“Move kid!”

 _ **Hoonnnnkkk**_  

"The hell are you on the middle of the street for? We got places to be!”

**_Hoooonnnk Hoooonnnnkkkk._ **

“You okay hun? Hurry up and keep walking. It's not safe…”

Ear drums ringing, Kaito stood dumbly in place. He probably should move, but his body remained unresponsive. From pitiful faces of remorse; throbbing, overexerted calves; to swirling negative thoughts bombarding his head, today’s events were piling up all at once. Running away was supposed to help. But no matter how much space he managed to shove between him and his problems, it was just as suffocating.

_I deserve this..._

All thoughts, however, were interrupted by the gruesome sight in front of him.

_What's a cat doing over there?_

It was the red that caught his eye. Curled over and writhing in pain, an orange tabby laid ahead. Probably from shattered glass, its paws were clumped with blood.

**_Hoooonnnnnkkkkkk_ **

There was a massive truck gaining in the cat’s direction...well shit.

“FUCK!!”

Kaito never recalled giving his legs permission to dash ahead like a complete moron. But hey, it was a pretty wack day in general. Would it have been more logical to rationalize his chances of coming out alive before jumping face first in front of a speeding truck? Yes. Blame defective survival instincts.

_I'm gonna fucking kill myself like an idiot and there'll have to be **two** funerals today. Fucking-fuck-fuckity-fuck! _

Rubber burning against gravel, his shoes screeched to a stop. Heaving, Kaito bent over and picked up his new companion, almost dropping her in the process (like any smooth savior would really).

 ** _HOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNKKKKK_**  

"SHIT!”

The truck was becoming far too close for comfort. Using all remaining strength, Kaito leapt. He’s not sure why he'd do this; why a powerless idiot like him would try at playing hero. But maybe...maybe he needed this moment. Call it a form of selfish… selflessness? Gripping the cat tighter, Kaito braced for impact.

But impact never came.

Instead, there was a blinding light, followed by violent tingling sensations slithering beneath skin. The experience was similar to sitting on a massage chair. Only it was set on high, twenty times as intense, and far from pleasant.

Then, the tingling stopped.

 ** _Hoonnnnkkk_**  

"-ell are you in the middle of the street for? We got places to be!”

_Huh?_

**Hoooonnnk Hoooonnnnkkkk**

Confused, he looked up to see the _same_ angry driver from before, with the _same_ expression of disgust.

“You okay hun? Hurry up and keep walking. It's not safe…” Kaito craned his neck around, turning to face a concerned pedestrian. She was middle aged, gentle crinkles outlining worried eyes. Reaching out an arm, the woman held his shoulder, “Oh my goodness your cat’s bleeding! Let's hurry up and get you and your kitty out of the way now, okay?”

_My...kitty?_

A gentle nudge poked his chest, soft fur brushing against skin. The cat was still in his arms. Kaito blinked, “B-but…” he glanced back at the lane ahead, raising a shaky finger towards the direction he _should’ve_ been. “I-I was just-”

Comically on cue, the truck from earlier sped past.

“I know I know hun, but let’s keep moving m‘kay?” She gently guided his dazed body along. Kaito looked down into his arms again, eyes meeting two yellow slits gazing almost knowingly back at him.

**_What the fuck was that?_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Its time... FOR TIME TRAVEL!!! Brought to you by your friendly neighborhood feline :3


	3. Spot-nip

“You're lucky I was there in time, otherwise you'd be pretty roughed up by now.” Rolled over on her back, the tabby playfully pawed and snapped at his fingers, tail flopping in content. Now that all her injuries were patched up, she was running on endless energy, keeping Kaito as occupied as possible for over half an hour. “It sure is nice being cute huh? No one can say no to that face.”

Claws snagged against his sleeves in response, giving him eyes that read _:of course not, just look at me.:_

At least, that's how Kaito interpreted her in his mind.

Then again, the cat wouldn't be wrong. Eri, especially, fell victim to her charm, agreeing to heal her even after Dad’s emotionally draining funeral.

_“Oh my goodness what happened to the poor thing!” Eri was in an frenzied state of panic, disturbed by the absolute crime of feline endangerment. Kaito wasn't surprised by her reaction, considering how famous Aizawa’s family was for their “cat stash”, going so far as to require outside intervention from friends concerned for obvious signs of addiction._

_“U-uh I found her on the street. I think she cut herself on some glass. I-I'm pretty sure she's a stray.” A sweat drop rolled down his face; Kaito felt nervous, both for the cat and himself. It was plausible that Eri would pin all blame on him, thus wreaking revenge on the furball’s behalf._

_“Well what are we waiting for! Bring her over quickly quickly!” Gentle hands settled on fur. “You'll feel better in no time hun.”_

Arms tired from playtime, Kaito decided to take a break, settling himself on bed with his legs crossed. His new friend took immediate offense to this, plopping herself nearby as if making a statement _:I’m laying here too.:_

Beds were more comfortable with company anyways.

_Huh, that's odd._

Strange, that he didn't notice until now. Hidden among tuffs of orange fur, a single, white circle marked her left upper thigh, about the size of a paw print.

“Maybe I'll name you Spot.”

“Maybe you'll name her _Death Sentence_ when the old man finds out.”

His body froze, slowly twisting around to see Ichika leaned up against the entrance, eyebrows raised.

“U-uhhhhh… telling Dad can wait?” He forced a shaky smile.

Their father was occupied, locked up in his room. During his worst moments, sometimes from civilian accidents or the like, Katsuki would close himself off from all contact. Despite his broodiness, Izuku would pop in, offering support every time; even if all he could do was patiently sit by him in silence.

But Izuku wasn’t in the picture anymore.

“Dad’s gonna take some time in his room, so I don't wanna stress him out any more than he needs to be. Besides, I couldn't just _leave_ her out on the streets all alone. I mean, _look at her!_ ”

Spot paused from licking her paw, glanced up at Kaito for a second, then leaned back over and continued grooming.

Examining the cat for a bit, Ichika shrugged. “Shit, you got me there.” She walked over and took a seat next to Spot, hands running along smooth fur. “I doubt even the old man would be able to kick out a girly like you.”

Spot nipped at her finger.

“Well shit nevermind then.”

“It's actually more than just wanting to take her in though,” Kaito mumbled. Keeping secrets from Ichika would be pointless. She was far too perceptive when it came to reading people, and Kaito was a horrific liar on top of it. It would be fine though, Ichika was trustworthy. “I think–no I'm certain that Spot has a quirk.”

This caught her ear. Animals with quirks are extreme, rare cases; very few are recorded in history, with principle Nezu being one exception.

And if Spot’s quirk was anything close to what Kaito suspected it was, then he would need all the help he could get his hands on. Unfamiliar territory should never be tread alone.

“...Spill.”

And so he did.

  
________________________________________________________________

 

“OW!” Kaito rubbed the bulging red bump on his head.

Ichika reprimanded, “ _THAT’S_ for being a lil’ shit and ditching all of a sudden. No one feels comfortable at funerals dumbass, but that doesn't mean we just up and leave like some insensitive prick. ‘Sides, you worried the shit out of Granny Mitsu and Dad you self-absorbed asshole!”

Kaito slumped in guilt. He guessed it was pretty insensitive to not consider everyone else’s feelings while disappearing without a word. “I'm sor-”

She slapped his head again.

“OW!”

“And THAT’S for jumping in front of a truck like a suicidal dumbass! You a martyr? HAH? Think you could leap in front of a truck, and then what? Let both you _and_ the cat get run over??”

“I said I-”

She slapped him harder.

Kaito whined, “OW! What now?”

“...Nothin’.” It just feels _real_ nice slappin’ asshats _asshat_ ,” Ichika retorted—adding extra bite to “ass”.

Although his punishment was well deserved, Ichika was clearly abusing her power, gaining a bit too much satisfaction in the process.

“Also…” Ichika’s tone was more solemn now. She glanced at the tabby ravishing her milk bowl in the corner. “It sounds to me like she has a time travel quirk, which is all the more reason to keep her around. Hell breaks loose when villains find out about these sorts of abilities.”

Kaito hummed, both in agreement and concern. Ichika’s response only further confirmed his suspicions now.

Spot was a rare, potentially dangerous jewel: being an animal with a quirk, _and_ time travel. Possible repercussions of releasing her out onto the streets, or a pet daycare, were too risky.

“I was thinking of maybe testing her quirk a bit, understanding what she could do is probably safer…” Kaito made his way to his study desk, pulling out a fresh notebook from the drawer. Yes, this would be the smartest course of action for now.

“Have you figured out what triggered its activation?” Ichika supplied, “Could be fear or some sorta response to danger…”

Shaking his head, Kaito’s forehead wrinkled as he answered, “No-no I'm pretty sure it isn't. Otherwise, she would've used it much earlier. She was already panicking and in pain before I got there.”

Stretching her limbs, Spot arched her back while letting out a content yawn —which was absolutely adorable by the way. Belly full, the tabby began to wonder Kaito’s room some more, still taking in her new environment.

Ichika’s eyes widened, heart skipping a little towards the possibility that maybe… “Are you sure it wasn't you?” She offered. “It could've been you manifesting your quirk. Maybe you're a late bloomer, like…”

Ichika winced, realizing her mistake.

Dad’s absence was still taking some getting used to.

Kaito’s shook his head, “N-no. The vibrations came from Spot first, then traveled to me.” His face became grim, tone quiet. “It’s-It’s not the same…”

A minute of silence came over the room.

Trying to progress their previous conversation, while also avoiding the current subject, Ichika huffed, “W-Well… if it isn't fear or some sorta willed response, then what else?”

Kaito’s hand jumped to his pencil, mind already in brainstorming mode—an unconscious attempt towards distraction. “Mmm...I've got a handful of hypotheses…” Led scratched across paper, jotting down potential possibilities. “It could be a quirk initiated through contact, or maybe a stress threshold must be met, though that kinda ties into your idea of a danger response, which we already confirmed as unlikely…” His mumbling was frantic, growing more and more intense as numerous speculations and doubts pounded throu-

“Fucking chill goddamn!” Ichika rubbed her temples, sliding her hands across her face. She let out a frustrated groan. “Just-ugh just try retracing your steps first. You're not gonna go anywhere with jumbled up theories.”

_Retrace my steps?_

Okay...well, Spot was on the ground bleeding with glass everywhere. A truck came speeding her direction, causing Kaito to (idiotically) dash towards her. Then the truck came even closer—and probably haunt his dreams from that day forth—, so he leapt away in a desperate attempt to _not die_ because what else do you do whe-

**“Hoooly shit!”**

Kaito’s sudden outburst startled everyone else in the room, two heads simultaneously jolted in his direction.

He sprung up, sprinting to the nightstand where Spot laid. “Spot-chan, I'm so sorry but you're gonna have to help me for a bit. I promise I'll get you all the catnip you want afterwards, even if I've gotta wrestle it from Eraserhead first.” Kaito’s eyes were pleading. Confused, Spot blinked twice as he wrapped his arms around her midsection, letting her limp body sway in his grasp.

Ichika interrupted, “Okay first of all, you're twiggy arms aren't wrestling anything from anybody, so slow down befo-”

“LEAP!”

“The fuck are you-”

He left, running out and through halls, occasionally pausing and changing directions—all midst mumbling miles per minute. Footsteps thumped across floors, echoing from different parts of the house. Anyone watching, without a doubt, would assume Kaito was insane.

Poor Spot’s body still swayed limply in his arms. The tabby was not “alarmed” so to speak, but definitely not amused either.

“LEAAPP!” Kaito’s (charming) voice cracked, shouting as if he discovered the answer to all the world's problems. “LEAPPP! WE NEED TO LEAP!!!!!”

“Alright fucker that's enough for today.” Ichika was a bit freaked out now. “I know it's been hard, but that doesn't mean we should-”

“LEAP! Ichika, we need to leap!” Kaito was standing in front of her again, chest heaving as the goofiest smile stretched across his cheeks. “We need to leap in order to activate her quirk! A-and I've gotta test something, so come with me!” He zoomed out the room again.

Ichika was still stuck in place, not quite processing what the fuck was going on.

Footsteps came pattering back. Kaito’s unruly hair popped inside, “I said come on! Quick!” He disappeared again.

Ichika scoffed, “At least someone's in a better mood.”

Just to fuck with him, Ichika made sure to take her sweet time, sauntering through the halls at a slow-ass pace. Kaito didn't seem to mind though, too busy bouncing up and down on tiptoes, green eyes sparkling. Ichika swears that she's never seen a more idiotic look on anyone in her life.

“O-okay okay. Before we do this, I wanna promise that I'm _not_ trying to hurt any of us.” They were standing right by the ledge of the staircase,

One floor up

Not that Ichika minded; the drop was nothing to her. It was Kaito’s gaze, determined eyes glued to the floor, that brought her unease. She could make it just fine, but Kaito’s gangly nerd body? Not so much.

“Whoa that's already suspi-”

“Trust me.”

Everything about this situation threw multiple red flags at once: the drop down; her brother’s alarming behavior; hell, even the cat didn't wanna be there. But Kaito’s eyes were clear, honest. Ichika knew this look: the look he gave when he decided to invent,

when rumors about him spread through school,

when he wanted to be the first quirkless student in UA,

Kaito’s battle look.

“You're a weird motherfucker, you know that?”

Kaito was still glaring, expectant.

Ichika snorted and shook her head, “Hai hai I'll jump with you.”

Kaito relaxed, throwing a radiant smile of appreciation.

“BUT…”

He paused.

“Don't come crying to me if you break your leg or something, cuz if I'm gonna use _my_ _explosions_ to break someone's landing…” she shoved her pointer finger towards the clueless cat in his arms. “It's gonna be for me, and _her_. _Not_ the dumbass that brought this upon us, GOT IT?”

Kaito nodded his head furiously. It's a mystery how he doesn't fracture his neck in the process.

They climbed over the rim, cautious grips keeping Spot steady against their holds. The cat was not pleased, and for good reason, as she clawed and meowed in protest. They made it across, feet planted on the narrow ledge.

Kaito lifted his wristwatch, checking the time:

11:34 pm

His head sprung up, almost forgetting to remind her, “Oh yeah. make sure to-”

“I know I know. Keep holding onto Spot. No need to tell me.” Ichika waved him off, throwing him the birdie.

Siblings looked down, looked at each other, then looked at the cat’s unimpressed figure, still fussing in protest. _:You two better not be what I think you're doing:_

“So sorry Spot.”

And they jumped.

  
________________________________________________________________

  
7:38 pm

…

 

**_It was 7:38 pm_ **

 

_Holy shit, hooly shit, holy father almighty Jesus Christ is my lord and savior; We went back **four hours**._

Eyes blank, Kaito stared dumbly at his watch, body frozen in absolute disbelief. He had his suspicions, no, was quite sure, but to see it in the flesh, practically confirmed, was beyond comprehension. Unable to risk any more heartbreak, he kept his hopes down, hoping to soften the blow were it to fail. What a wonderful, God-sent time to be proven wrong.

 _It-it **worked**_.

Still in shock, Ichika stumbled, letting Spot pounce off her grasp. Unlike everyone else in the room, the cat was more irritated than anything, deciding to leave her owners on their own. Playtime wasn't fun anymore.

“W-what… WHAT THE _FUCK_ WAS THAT!” Ichika screamed, both infuriated towards Kaito and herself for pulling such a bullshitty stunt. “W-WHY DIDN’T WE LAND??? A-AND THE FUCKIN’-THE FUCKING _TINGLES_ ” She jabbed her finger towards the direction of where they should’ve been. “A-AND SHOULDN’T WE BE OVER _THERE_?”

Breaking from his stupor, Kaito mumbled in thought. “Hm. That's actually an interesting side effect. Each time the trajectory seems to veer slightly off from the original landing point. Perhaps, it's connected to why we don't experience any impact? Some brand of ‘softening the landing’ maybe? Seems plausib-”

She wasn't taking any more bullshit. “Oi! Earth to nerd! You've better got a _good_ explanation as to why you'd-”

“It's **7:38** Ichika.” Kaito showcased his watch, not seeming to care about interrupting. “We leapt back _four hours_.”

Ichika blinked, shutting her mouth.

If Kaito’s smile shone before, it was utterly blinding now. “We confirmed two important deductions…” he brought up a finger, “One, you can travel back with more than one person,” he gestured between them, as if pointing out the obvious. “Two, the higher you jump…” His eyes beamed,

_“the further back you go.”_

Ichika caught on,

and the atmosphere became deathly still.

Of course, it all makes sense now. How on earth had she not noticed the blatant disparity in Kaito’s behavior? Not long before, he was busy suppressing all emotion, going so far as to abandon friends and family—since apparently alienation seemed to be his most comforting solution at the time. Yet now, Kaito was giggling like a maniac, so fucking _ecstatic_ on the day of their Dad’s funeral. Ichika’s mind buzzed, eyes widening in realization. Reality could be altered to their liking; a once impossible dream was now possible.

There would be no funeral.

Ichika tackled her brother to the ground. “You fuckin’ beautiful-genius-ass-mother-fucker you!”

Kaito was suffocating in her hold, his sister’s violent fist slamming him into a noogie, disheveled hair poking out in sporadic directions. Laughter bounced off walls as the pair hugged, firm grips surely causing future bruising—mostly on Kaito’s part. Yet neither cared, because it didn't matter.

Because in the end, even if Kaito and Ichika had to walk through hell itself, they were going to get their Dad back.

  
________________________________________________________________

 

_“Babe?”_

_Even from the shower, his husband’s voice reverberated across halls, rudely disrupting Katsuki’s moment of privacy. He knew this tone; one way or another, he probably fucked something or someone up—most likely both. Either way, he wasn't intending on finding out. Stalling for time, Katsuki basked under hot water for just a bit longer._

_“Babe? Babe can you come here for a second?”_

_Guess there was no choice but to face incrimination—these were the only types of battles that could never be won. Katsuki sighed, “I'm in the shower hold on!”_

_Calloused hands switch off the shower handle. Exiting the bathroom, he wrapped a towel around his waist, intentionally positioning it lower to expose his defined pelvis lines. A distracted Izuku is easier to deal with._

_“What’s up?” Katsuki walked into the kitchen, welcomed by an accusatory look from his husband._

_Izuku’s eyes scanned his face—seeming far too amused for comfort— as Katsuki shifted under his gaze slightly. Something was definitely up._

_“You know...I was cleaning the living room, and found something_ **_very_ ** _interesting.” Izuku’s head nodded towards said location, reaching for the unknown object of interest behind his back._

_Katsuki scoffed, shielding his growing uncertainty with a bored, uncaring front. “Yeah? What'd you find?” He stretched his torso, letting the towel slide down a few centimeters—totally discrete._

_Izuku blushed—fucker still got embarrassed by that shit, hah—but it quickly faded as he shook his head. “I-I know what you're trying to do. That won't work this time…”—that was basically admittance—”A-and it's a magazine.”_

_A magazine? Porn? No, that's not it. Believe it or not, Katsuki hasn't owned those types of magazines in years—not necessary when you live with someone who could easily star in one—but if it wasn't porn, then what could it-_

_**  
A Gay’s Guide to Parenting: Adoption, Surrogates, and More! ** _

_..._

_Fuck,_

_he forgot about that._

_Face far too fucking smug, Izuku was holding the magazine up to his nose, waving it side to side teasingly. The universe was clearly playing some type of sick joke. Perhaps this is what he gets for dropping his guard._

_Katsuki snatched it —as if he could veer away from the inevitable conversation to be had—and bunched the treacherous object into a tight roll (which could double as a beating stick if need be)._

_Reading his husband’s murderous intentions, Izuku's raised his hands up in defense. “I'm just saying, that if you want to talk about-”_

_“There's nothing to talk about,” Katsuki retorted, stomping his way towards anywhere but here, still uncomfortable with confronting the subject._

_Why was he being such an embarrassed shit? It's not like he was so-fucking-needy to jump into parenting—like a certain bespectacled smart-ass and chubby-cheeked gravity bitch—so why was he acting like this? Sure, he may have been a **little** endeared by Dick Tail and Invisi-bitch’s baby: dewy eyes that melted hearts, pudgy little hands that only stretched far enough to wrap around your index finger, all while giggling and rolling over in that god-forsaken-fucking-adorable way. Before he knew it, his traitorous fingers were browsing baby videos, then tutorials on parenting hacks, followed by online shopping pages for baby shoes._

_Okay maybe he **kinda** wanted a kid._

_But he didn't feel like talking about it now._

_He was sitting on the couch, all efforts concentrated on the sole task of ignoring his husband. Izuku walked over, sat down next to him, and waited. No questions, no comments, nothing to put him on the spot. Just silence._

_When Katsuki finally seemed calm enough, Izuku spoke,_

_“Let’s do it.”_

_Katsuki blinked, unprepared for that response_.

_Reaffirming his statement, Izuku spoke again, “Let’s have a baby.”_

_Now it was Katsuki’s turn to answer. “Are you fucking insane?”_

_“You want a baby, right?” There was only love and understanding in emerald eyes._

_Fuck. He couldn't keep secrets from him. Izuku would know. He always did._

_“It's not that fucking simple.”—Why was he arguing against Izuku’s unexpected approval? Didn't he want this?—“When are we gonna have the time to raise a fucking child? Hero work doesn't have time for kids. Not to mention the safety risks. Those fucking villains-”_

_Izuku interjected, “They won't.”_

_“What the fuck you mean by they-”_

_“They won't…” Izuku was cupping their hands together, determined gaze glued to Katsuki’s_ _eyes. “Because we’ll be here. We’ll always be here. We’ll find the time to raise the baby. There are gaps between shifts, and doting grandmothers available for babysitting.” Izuku smiled at that last comment, remembering their parent’s non-subtle insistence for grandkids. “As for villains, we’ll protect them, take as many precautions necessary. Top heroes have had kids before, so why can't we?”_

_“Besides,” Izuku gave a sheepish smile, “I wanna have a family with you too. I-I wanna have kids.”_

_“Kids?” Katsuki raised an eyebrow, “Plural?”_

_It was Izuku’s turn to be embarrassed. “A-ahh I mean, n-nothing's guaranteed? I'm not saying we should be totally **outnumbered**.” Katsuki’s eyebrow raised higher at this; Izuku blushed harder. “I-I'm just saying we could see where things go, n-not that one isn't enough, but we can test the waters and-”_

_He was shut up with a kiss. “Alright don't piss yourself. We can have kid **s** ,” Katsuki teased—adding extra emphasis on the “s”._

_Wanting to die on the spot, Izuku covered his face, feeling self conscious from his husband’s mocking. Why must he always torment him? “S-stop being mean Kacchan.”_

_Katsuki chuckled at this, and removed Izuku’s hands from his face—ignoring his husband’s resistance—to kiss him again, but longer this time. “Never.” He smirked as Izuku’s face contorted into an adorable pout._

_Katsuki pulled back, deciding that Izuku had enough. But as his mind began to wander, doubts floating across his head, Katsuki’s mood was suddenly solemn again._

_Izuku took notice of his shift immediately. Dedicated eyes searched his partner for the reason why, aware that asking what's wrong would only worsen things. He was no stranger to Katsuki's moodiness—growing up together played a major role—but learning how to react was a skill he had to develop over years of gradual trust, built through a long path of friendship to love—though the love may have been there longer than he thought. He couldn't tell. It's been so many years, ingrained into his system by now._

_He watched Katsuki’s face some more before realization hit._

_Ah, that was all?_

_“You'll be a wonderful dad.”_

_Katsuki looked up, a little surprised by the comment hitting home. Izuku’s smile was reassuring, no traceable hint of doubt in his features; only utter honesty._

_Katsuki wasn't a man of words, so he responded the only way he could. Pulling him into an embrace, Katsuki rested his forehead into the crevice of Izuku’s neck. Eyes closed and breathing steady, Katsuki was at peace._

_They could do this._

  
________________________________________________________________

 

**_Rrrrrriiiiinggggg Rrrrrriiiiinggggg Rrrrrriiiiinggggg_ **

 

  
Why the fuck did Katsuki not set his phone on silent? He was far too hungover for this bullshit, evidence of excessive drinking cluttering the room, empty beer bottles and the like. He normally never drank—insistent on maintaining a healthy physique suited for combat—but there's been plenty of changes lately. What difference did one more make? Irritated, he slammed “ignore”—not bothering to check who even called.

Then it was the homephone’s turn.

 

 _**  
Rrrrrriiiiinggggg** _ _**Rrrrrriiiiinggggg Rrrrrriiiiinggggg** _

  
“Goddammit,” he grumbled, sour breathe a perfect representation of his current mood. Whoever this motherfucker was, they had some _balls_ for calling both his personal _and_ home phone. Annoying persistence was not an attractive attribute to have.

He dragged his body towards the counter, snappy tone evident as he barked into the phone, “WHAT!”

It was a woman, voice shaking with panic, “B-Bakugou-san, w-we’re so sorry, no, _I’m_ so sorry. I take full responsibility for everything-”

Exhausted, and not pleased with where this conversation was leading, Bakugou scolded, “Get straight to the point. Don't waste my fucking time.”

“Of course of course.” Her voice was more familiar now. What was her name? Ahh, Handjob Ponytail Girl from Class 1-B. He didn't care for her much—though she proved useful in beating the shit out of Snotty Copycat Fucker. Never liked that guy. God knows why UA hired that dickhead.

Handjob continued, “Some students and faculty at UA spotted Ichika-san and Kaito-kun on the roof together…”

Katsuki froze.

“Th-they jumped off.”

His heart _stopped_ , already anticipating the worst

 

…

 

“ ** _What?_** ”

“There were no bodies found,” she quickly added, “it's almost as if they disappeared before landing. I assure you that numerous heroes including myself are already on it-”

“I’ll be there in five minutes don't move.” He hung up.

What a fucking moron. Neglecting his children when they needed him most, too busy locking himself up and drinking away his problems while they suffered more than him.

_Wonderful Dad?_

He was far from it.

Katsuki was a complete failure.

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of a late update, so I fattened the chapter a little :3


	4. Well, That Backfired

Contrary to popular belief, Ichika is a pretty reasonable person when looking past her aggressively inclined, bat-shit crazy personality. Of all people, she is well aware how deceiving looks can be. Ichika likes to think of herself as an onion; brutish and barbaric on the outside, but after peeling past some layers, a reasonable human being capable of rational decision making (unless you were to test her patience, cus when you cut an onion you gon’ cry).

Anyways, she’s a reasonable person,

and anyone who says otherwise can choke on her hypothetical balls.

So were you to ask her why she's standing here, on the roof of UA’s forty-five story campus, strapped to a scrawny middle schooler and his cat, Ichika—being her reasonable self—would answer,

“I dunno what the fuck we’re even doing.”

Fumbling through harness straps, Kaito reassured, “It'll be fine. We already know that Spot’s quirk breaks the fall. Besides, if anything goes wrong, you'll just propel us with explosions, right?” Expectant green eyes met red, scanning Ichika in case she happened to forget protocol. Which she hasn’t, cus she's not a fucking idiot, duh.

God, it seemed like such a great idea earlier. But now that they're actually putting the plan into practice, it doesn't come across as so “ingenious” anymore. Whelp, they came this far already, guiltripping security into letting a non-student and unidentified feline enter school grounds (being children of the deceased Symbol of Hope certainly helped. It was a dirty card to pull, but desperate times call for desperate measures).

Ichika sighed, “Maybe we should've at least given the old man a heads up. Not sayin’ we should've told him _everything_. But like, maybe lied about hanging with friends, or-”

“Not necessary,” Kaito replied, “We’ll be going back in time for only a few days. It’ll be like we never left.”

There he goes again, considerate Kaito. Though, his reasoning is understandable. No point in worrying the old man about their absence, when the absence won't even happen...supposedly (time travel is a confusing mess). Besides, they couldn't risk giving the plan away. Otherwise they'd have to kiss the cat, and any chance at saving Dad, goodbye.

“Are you sure we’re doing this right? Don't you think that this is kinda…” Ichika gestured towards the forty story high, most definitely lethal drop. “...overkill?”

Kaito finished triple checking all buckles, huffing with content. “No, this height is perfect. If a one story height goes back 4 hours, then a 45 story drop will go back about 180, making it a 7.5 day leap, roughly...” He continued mumbling to himself, “Of course, one floor here is slightly higher than a floor at home, but going back eight or nine days won’t make much a difference...As long as we go back and warn Dad, right?” A bright smile radiated back at her, encouraging.

Ichika smirked, “Yeah, now let’s get this over with. I got a test to ace again.”

As they inched closer to the ledge, Spot expressed outright disapproval through persistent meowing and squirming. Any effort made to calm her was futile. If Spot hated the jump before, she absolutely despised this much, much more.

Kaito apologized, “I’m so sorry Spot, we promise this’ll be the last time, okay?”

Spot threw a menacing glare in response _:Don’t you even **think** you’ll get away with this:_ Her ruthless clawing never ceased. Kaito gave himself a mental clap on the back for trimming her nails earlier.

The trio paused, bracing themselves for-

“Wait!”

Kaito hesitated, much to his sister’s annoyance, a light blush tinting freckled cheeks. “U-um. I-I'm just a little-”

“Scared?” Ichika teased.

He snapped, “N-no!” Kaito turned away, a useless attempt at obscuring his embarrassment—as if he could hide anything from her really. “It's just-it’s just a little higher than I'm...used to.”

Ichika released a _long_ sigh. “Alright, I'll count to three okay? You can close your eyes if you want.”

He nodded, sheepish.

“One…”

Kaito may or may not have squeezed his eyes shut.

“Two-”

And Ichika pushed off.

  
…

  
“YOU BITCH!”

Kaito’s helpless screams only further fueled Ichika’s cackling. Her brother’s reaction was probably the most _entertaining_ thing she's ever had the pleasure of witnessing. No, scratch that, it totally fucking was. Jesus Christ, voice cracks are fucking _amazing_. Nothing beats prepubescent fear.

His wussy-ass shrieking almost made the tingles worth enduring. That is, until they started to escalate, trembling nerves exploding into a violent sensation _far_ extreme than before. With a higher jump, there’d naturally be worse recoil. But something about it this time just felt, wrong.

A warped portal opened up ahead, colorful lights bursting from its center as they plummeted through.

Fuck, that's new.

 _And_  
       they  
             just  
                  kept  
               on  
       falling  
 until  
      they  
            finally  
                    **_stopped._ **

  
________________________________________________________________

 

Mondays are awful. But when you shove an all-nighter right before a Monday morning, they're even worse. Now take _consecutive_ all-nighters with barely a wink of sleep, nonexistent breaks, and panicking officers scurrying in every plausible direction—plus several shots of caffeine being your only saving grace—now _that's_ , that's just masochism.

Retirement? Tsukauchi has never heard of such a thing. They’d have to take his badge from his cold, dead hands first.

If the past week wasn't already hectic enough—with investigations regarding Deku’s murder bombarding the police department—last night’s missing person’s case took the cake. Just...why, _why_ must the Symbol of Hope’s children disappear only _hours_ after the Symbol of Hope’s funeral. He'd laugh at the impeccable timing if he, you know, wasn't so close to losing it.

Tsukauchi’s not sure if his old heart can survive at this ra-

“Chief!”

Retirement time.

“Chief!” It was one of the police officers working their front desk. Collapsed on the floor, he was gasping for air with what seems to be… smoke? Coming off his uniform? It doesn't take a detective to wonder what happened, though Tsukauchi would rather not know. “W-we tried to stop him, but _oh my God_. H-he’s-he’s like a _bulldozer_.”

Ah, what Tsukauchi would do to be young again. Any experienced officer would know better than to challenge _him_.

“WHERE THE FUCK IS HE!!!!!”

Speak of the devil.

At some point, the unfortunate police officer was flung aside effortlessly. Poor guy, Tsukauchi should treat him to a well-deserved drink later.

An ominous, hulking figure towered over him, oozing with murderous intent. If it were anyone else in Tsukauchi’s position, they would be absolutely mortified, for good reason of course. But being in this industry for so many years does something to your cortisol levels.

Tsukauchi set the paperwork down, glancing at the clock.

1:36 am.

“Good morning Ground Zero-”

“Don't you fucking think for a _goddamn second_ that I'll let you outta here _alive_ for holding back information on me. I _know_ you've got at least _one name_ for my kill list…” Katsuki’s fingers switched from clenched to unclenched, knuckles cracking.

Ground Zero’s in feral battle mode, rage practically seeping from his pores and across the room.

Tsukauchi opened his mouth, paused, then decided to close it again.

Hands slammed onto the desk, explosions popping beneath palms. Katsuki growled, “Don't give me that _‘it's not healthy for you’_ bullshit…” Grating his teeth, Katsuki leaned forward, threatening. “cus if you wanna sleep peacefully at night, I better have whoever’s responsible’s asshole blown apart, shoved down their esophagus, and hanging by my fireplace with their dick wrapped around their throat.”

Tsukauchi cleared his throat, “Of course.”

The investigation has been hidden from Ground Zero long enough. Though, keeping things under wraps seemed to be an emotionally healthier alternative then. This was exactly what Tsukauchi feared: Bakugou tearing the city apart for blood. Even if he's the number one, most qualified for the job, Tsukauchi would rather not have Katsuki on the case.

Because no matter how despicable the killer is, it isn't good for him or his family.

Izuku wouldn't want this.

And Katsuki knows, but there's no family to hold him back now, and there's no way in hell Tsukauchi could hold his ground against _Ground Zero_.

Tsukauchi pushed his wheeled chair back, spinning around to face the file cabinets. After grabbing the Deku case folders, he plopped them onto his desk, ushering the hero to sit down.

“Before you look at anything, you should know that we don't have any leads on where your kids are yet… I'm sorry.”

For a split second, pain flashed across the hero’s features, before reverting back to standard stoicness. His exhaustion, however, wasn’t as easy to hide—baggy eyes and a five-o'clock shadow etched on his face.

He's aged so much in such a short amount of time.

It was a bit of an odd experience to see Katsuki so quiet. “It’s fine, it's only been a couple of hours. I wasn't expecting much…” His forehead creased, “I'll find them.”

Katsuki shuffled through documents, making sure to prioritize prime suspect profiles. What was once a raging fire now settled into cold, hard resolve. This wasn't Bakugou Katsuki anymore. This was professional hero Ground Zero.

Recognizing an all-to-familiar face, Ground Zero growled, “I fucking knew that warp fucker would be involved…”

Tsukauchi nodded.

The hero paused, recalling rumors floating around. “There were three of them on the scene correct?”

Weak-ass motherfuckers always need to gang up. Can't do shit on their own.

Tsukauchi answered, “There are, but we aren't certain who the third is-”

“Yet,” Ground Zero interjected.

“Yet,” the detective affirmed. “Though we are pretty sure about Kurogiri, and Ms-”

“THE FUCKING BITCH!”

  
________________________________________________________________

 

_“Pretty frustrating right?”_

_He tried to ignore her at first, eyes glued to white floor tiles in the hopes she’d read the mood and leave. Another reminder of his failure wasn’t necessary. Besides, he was already in the middle of beating himself up for it, ruthless self deprecating thoughts ramming his head. This was his **last** chance, and he blew it._

_Not seeming to get the message, she propped herself next to him, leaning against the table legs crossed. “Ya know, it’s gonna be harder finding a hero agency willing to hire you, especially with guys like **that** around.” She tilted her head towards the TV screen. The round’s winner was being showcased over and over again. The guy smashed through concrete like it was **nothing** , impact rippling across the stadium._

_The girl whistled, “Damn, dudes like that have it pretty nice huh.” She sighed dreamily, “Heard he’s likable too, with the whole nice personality and cute face.” Pretending to remember something, she snapped her fingers. “Ah, but don’t worry. You can always try for the hero course again and beat him next time...” A smirk stretched across cheeks, chiding. “Oh wait, never mind-“_

_He heard enough, “Can you leave me alone?”_

_No need to remind him of already well-known information thank-you-very-much. He gets it. That Midoriya guy’s sheer amazingness beat him fair and square, cool quirk and all._

_Reading his mind, she leaned forward and whispered, “I think your quirk’s really neat too.”_

_He blushed, not sure how to respond to sudden praise—compliments were a rare occurrence. “Uhh, thank you I guess?” But as solemn eyes gazed back at the screen, his posture slumped in defeat, “it’s still weak though...”_

_She waved her index finger side to side, “Pish posh! Your quirk’s a perfect match against his.”_

_Surprised, he stuttered, “B-But it’s-“_

_Shaking her head in disapproval, she tsked, “Mmm-mm…” Her face inched closer, leaning in until their noses almost touched._

_“You’ve got **loads** of potential~”_

  
________________________________________________________________

 

Okay, so things didn't totally go according to plan.

That portal kinda came out of nowhere. Not to mention landing in a tree, which hurts a lot more than one would expect.

Now they were dangling from a particularly stubborn branch, several feet in the air.

Using a harness wasn't such a great idea either. All those extra straps and buckles backfired, tangling them into a misshapen, jumbled mess.

Ichika jeered, “ _It’ll be fine,’_ you say. _‘Spot’s quirk naturally breaks the fall,’_ you say. Well you know what _I_ got to say?” She jerked forwards, causing the trio to swing side to side. “Nothing about this situation is fine _bitchdick_. You should try wiping your mouth, still got a tiny bit of _bullshit_ around your lips.”

Kaito refuted, “Well _maybe_ I could if my hands weren't tied up at the moment.” He tried shoving back, though all it seemed to do was spin them around. “Instead of yelling at me, which is completely unnecessary since you're _right_ by my eardrums by the way, why don't you put those explosions to use and get us out of here huh?” He wasn't in the mood to argue. There were plenty of far more productive ways to go about this. Getting down would be a good one.

Ichika scoffed, “Oh _wooow_ , I thought you had some brain cells in there you fuckin’ dickweed.” She rolled her eyes, “If I were to follow your _genius_ advice and explode this branch, who do you think’ll get the brunt of the blow when we land? Hmmmm?”

Oh shit, good point.

Vulnerable, Spot was still strapped against Kaito’s stomach. The tabby wasn't injured or panicking, thank goodness, but pretty irritated. _:this is what you get for putting me through this:_

Yeah, karma works in mysterious ways.

Kaito scanned his surroundings, taking note of their location. At least he predicted one thing correctly. As expected, they seemed to have veered a bit off course, in the forest-like area on campus.

Okay, Kaito could work with this. Sure, they were a bit tangled up at the moment, but only temporarily. Failure and Kaito have plenty of history, a necessary, natural part of science. You can't have one without the other. Besides, these are the types of moments where optimism is vital-

“Oi!”

-And Kaito’s an optimist. Their little dilemma is nothing he can’t handle. It's impressive enough they made it this far, so why stop now?

“Oi! Dipshit!”

-Once they figure out how to take things from here, it’ll all run along smoothly-

**_“Kaito!”_ **

Kaito hissed, “What?!”

 _“This isn't UA...”_ Ichika snarled.

“W-what? What are you talking about of course it's-”

She interrupted, “Kaito, that's not what I meant. What I'm sayin’ is that it's _different_. Look around.”

...

Different?

At first glance, the immediate assumption would be that it’s UA. And in a way, it was. Only where certain buildings should be, there was more forest, encompassing the campus within a giant blanket of green. The UA barrier changed too, a much less towering structure than before.

No doubt about it, this was still UA, but… smaller?

**_“Whoa, that’s a weird piñata ya got there. Need some help?”_ **

Attention turning downwards, their eyes caught onto a radiant smile. Welcoming, the friendly stranger gazed from below, seeming to wait for some sort of response.

They remained speechless.

Because as he loomed closer, sunlight glinting against sharp teeth, realization finally hit. This was no stranger. With the spiky red hair and crimson eyes, he was a literal Red Riot clone, yet shorter and less filled. Maybe an enthusiast?

But his right eye’s scar was frighteningly identical to the original…

Unless, this _was_ the original.

Being the first to piece it all together, Ichika whispered,

_“Fuck”_

Yes, fuck indeed.

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love my soft hard manly boys :3


	5. Run

This was real life. Not some dream or psychedelic trip, but cruel, concrete reality.

This was _the_ Red Riot

As in, _young_ Red Riot.

As in, Red Riot young enough to still be attending UA, which was... _Jesus Christ_. How far back in time did they even go? Decades? They probably did judging from the hero’s lingering baby fat and smaller build.

So much for only traveling back a week.

“Fuck.”

Kaito agreed with that sentiment.

Kirishima released an awkward chuckle, “Ahaha, uh sorry if the piñata joke was a little much. I'm guessing it's not as fun as it looks heh.” He rubbed the back of his neck, sheepish.

Kaito reassured, “Oh no no not at all don't worry about it.” Something about an apologetic Red Riot really hammered its way into your heart. Kaito blames those eyes, those bright, puppy-dog eyes. The Red Riot they've come to know already had a sort of warm-hearted air to him, but this version’s youthful innocence on top of it all was too much. Waves of protest vomited from Kaito’s mouth, “I-It wasn't because of you at all we promise! It's just the whole being stuck in a tree situation is really inconvenient, and uncomfortable quite frankly, but if anything you being here really saves us because otherwise who knows how long we'd be stuck up here without any help or-”

“Gotcha gotcha,” Kirishima interrupted, having fully understood the message four minutes ago, “I should get you guys out of there now, so hang tight for a bit.”

If Ichika muttered any snide comments on how “fuckin’ embarrassing the nerd” was, Kaito refused to take notice.

Kirishima proceeded to make his way up the trunk, hardened fingertips functioning as a sort of grapple for climbing. It was these types of moments where he silently appreciated his quirk’s conveniency, even if it was a little bland in his opinion. He liked being helpful; it felt nice.

Since the climb was a considerable way up, Kirishima took it as a chance for small talk. “If you don’t mind me asking...how did this happen anyways? I get if maybe it's some sort of support course project, or something, but uh… why the cat?”

Knowing all too well how awful Kaito handles questioning, though for him it probably felt like interrogation, Ichika decided to answer instead, “We don't gotta say _shit_ about our business. But just to keep you outta our asses, Spot’s an important part of the operation and doesn't _fuck_ around, so zip it and focus.”

Spot meowed in agreement.

Something about Ichika’s short-fused order struck an amusingly familiar chord in Kirishima’s mind. It's funny how well-adjusted he is to being bossed around—a receiver of crude commentary at an almost daily basis. Maybe if Kirishima were anyone else, he'd be offended by a total stranger showing outright disrespect after all he tried to do was help out. But if there's anything Kirishima’s good at, it's detecting sincerity. Words with bite don't always mean harm.

Kirishima let out a hearty laugh, “Can’t argue with that can I?” He grinned, “Her name’s Spot huh. Better get your little teammate out quickly then.” Sturdy legs maneuvered their way over a tangled heap of branches before finally reaching the trio.“Ya know, once I get you outta here I think you should meet one of my buddies, I’m sure you’d get along.” Then, seeming to rethink his sentence, Kirishima hesitated. Introducing _him_ might not be such a good idea. “Then again, it could also maybe end up pretty... _explosive_. I’m not sure.”

Ichika threw a flirty comment in response, “Oh I’m much more interested in getting to know _you_ once this is over.”

“Jesus Christ Ichika stop.” She was–she was _seriously_ trying to do this right now. Kaito would facepalm so hard if his hands weren't tied at the moment. He understood Ichika’s, ehem, obsession with Red Riot. Though where most adoring fans would remain satisfied watching from sidelines, Ichika instead saw their current situation as an opportunity: a _young_ Red Riot for heaven sakes. He can't… he just _can't_ deal with this. Her ‘fuck it, Plus Ultra’ attitude can be deeply unsettling at times.

Kaito’s not sure if Kirishima chose to ignore her blatant flirting, or if he’s _that_ dense, but luckily, Kirishima responded with “Sure thing! You guys seem like a fun crowd to hand around–”

Yeah, he's just dense. Bless that beautiful hardhead.

“–oh-oh hold on a sec…” Kirishima reached for one of the buckles, “I’m about to get you out.”

**_“Hold it Kirishima.”_ **

Ichika and Kaito froze, recognizing this lazy tone all too well.

If they were screwed before, they were mega-plus-ultra fucked now.

Some people never change...

or retire apparently.

“Oh Sensei!” Kirishima smiled, unable to sense the atmosphere’s growing tension, “Good thing you're here. Some students got stuck and I was just about to-”

“You're too trusting Kirishima.” Aizawa loomed closer, red eyes flaring at their targets which unfortunately happened to be Kaito and Ichika this time around. He spoke, “With the rise in villain threats and growing uncertainty within UA faculty and parents, I've made sure to catalog every single student on campus for extra safety measures.” Using his bindings as leverage, he catapulted himself upwards, landing on a branch directly across the siblings. Crouched over, he continued, “And _these two_ are not students, no matter how young they may look.”

Kaito and Ichika have experienced their fair share of Aizawa’s glares, but this would be the most intimidating one so far...by a _wide_ margin. Because this time, they weren't receiving a ‘you’re in trouble’ or ‘stop wasting my time’ glare, but an Eraserhead glare, ruthless and observant.

Eraserhead was treating them as villains.

Kirishima frowned, “I dunno Aizawa Sensei, they haven't really done anything-”

Eraserhead interrupted, “Have you ever considered that maybe they were only trying to gain your trust? School only just ended, and these two aren't wearing uniforms. Use that brain of yours Kirishima and leave them.” He huffed, a hint of amusement detected in his tone, “They seemed to have done the _capture_ part for us.”

Wow okay. This was getting bad... _really_ bad.

“Oi oi oi,” Ichika snarled, quite offended by the conclusion he was getting at, “We aren't fucking _villains_. You're trippin’ gramps.”

Kaito muttered, “Ichika, that's exactly what a villain would say.”

Raising his eyebrows, the hero crossed his arms, “You're acting awfully familiar with me. I don't recall meeting either of you.”

“Yet,” Ichika interjected.

Aizawa blinked, “I'm sorry-”

“You ain't meeting us _yet_ ,” she repeated, angling her head sideways to face the hero with unwavering confidence. He wanted to play the interrogation game? Fine then, she'll play along. They're innocent and have absolutely nothing to hide.

Aizawa’s eyes narrowed, calculating. “Do elaborate.” Her sudden sincerity threw him off a bit, so he decided to press further, “When exactly would we _‘meet’_ so to speak.”

“Depends on what year it is right now.” Ichika continued her stare-down with Aizawa.

Neither seemed to back off.

Confused, Kirishima intervened, “You mean...like the _year_ year? Like uh...2118? You guys don't know?

Kaito hummed, “I guess it'll take about thirty years then. Wait, no, probably less if you count childhood…”

“Are you two suggesting-” Aizawa paused, trying to approach this newfound information with scepticism, yet also couldn't deny the small amount of interest bubbling underneath. It was unlikely, but in the world of quirks anything could be plausible.

He would know.

“-time travel being involved here? Do you honestly expect me to believe that kind of reasoning? It’s a creative excuse if I've ever heard one-”

“Well it's the truth.” It was Kaito’s turn to interrupt, “Whether you believe us or not, it's the truth. Ichika is actually a UA student too. Her ID is in her pocket if you want to check, but I'd imagine the design would be slightly different. Still, it's definitely a UA ID, and I'm sure the year addressed would match our statement…” Aizawa was directing his glare at him now, and Kaito felt himself shrink back a little. “S-sir,” he added, his momentary streak of confidence meeting its end.

Still, he felt pretty proud of himself, especially since Eraserhead _terrified_ him growing up.

Aizawa scanned him longer. Kaito gulped.

“What?” Ichika snorted, “You think it’s some ‘logical ruse,’ or whatever crap you always spew. That's _rich_. Nothing about anything right now is _logical_.” She rolled her eyes.

…

Aizawa _smiled_.

The same eerie smile that haunted Kaito’s dreams during childhood.

At least it meant good news this time.

He hoped

 

________________________________________________________________

 

  
This wasn't exactly how Kaito planned setting his first impression to UA. For the past six years, he fantasized walking into the interview room of his dream school, meeting his idol/deity-of-innovation Hatsume Mei, and wowing all the judges (though their opinions wouldn't mean jack shit if _she_ wouldn't be at least a bit impressed). He hoped for more of a ‘Hey this is my tech. Yeah it's the best. Please accept me. Please. I don't know what I'll do with my life otherwise...okay thanks.’ And bam! He's in.

Well life sure _loves_ to screw him over.

Because instead, here he was, sitting in Nezu’s office surrounded by much more heroes than necessary, scrutinizing gazes picking him apart like vultures.

The principal's pleasant smile and harmless cup of tea wasn't fooling anyone. Especially not him.

Kaito guessed it was their subtle display of power. Not really a declaration of war so to speak, but a silent threat: ‘The calm before the storm’.

Basically, if Kaito didn't turn out as honest as he claimed to be, well then, he’d have hell to pay.

_Wow, I remember how Dad said they cranked up security cus of all those villain attacks, but this is… a bit much._

Was it hot in here? Kaito was sweating a lot.

“Help yourself.” Nezu gestured to the cup of tea and plate of cookies.

Nerves eating away at his insides, Kaito didn't feel hungry. He shook his head.

Nezu sipped, “Tea really soothes the nerves you know. I always look forward to a nice cup to get my brain going.” The bear… rat? Bear-rat? seemed to show genuine kindness while speaking. No sign of malice written in his features. Or he was a good liar. This was still an interrogation after all. “Kaito was it?” Kaito nodded. “No need to be so tense,” Nezu leaned back, crossing his short legs.

“But…” Kaito eyed his surroundings, noting how not only was Eraserhead looming over his right, but at his left stood Present Mic, along with Midnight guarding from behind; All heroes he was familiar with—either from personal experience or stories Dad always gushed about. The only friendly face in the room seemed to be Kirishima who, thank god for his kind soul, insisted on staying with him. There was also an _alarmingly_ skinny blonde man nearby, looking literal seconds away from collapsing due to malnutrition. He seemed nice at least.

“Oh them?” Nezu smiled, a gesture that was probably meant to be reassuring but only worsened Kaito’s nervousness. “It’s a mere safety precaution Kaito-kun. Do understand.”

“Sooo…” Kaito’s eyes roamed the room once more, noting the incriminating gazes still directed at him. “Splitting me and my sister up was a ‘safety precaution’ too?”

“Yup!” Nezu answered with an odd amount of cute enthusiasm given the situation.

It made sense, but Kaito still didn’t really like the idea of being separated. Not that he couldn’t handle himself, though Ichika _did_ offer a pillar of support at times like these. But mainly because he was a bit scared of leaving her on her own, since Ichika can handle herself a little _too well_.

“I get why you’d have all these guards around me but uhh…” A sweat drop trickled down Kaito’s forehead, “this is kinda unnecessary. If there’s anyone you’d really want to keep an eye on it’s Ichika but...um...as long as you leave her alone she’s harmless.”

“So she _can_ be dangerous?”

“N-No! Not at all!” Kaito’s protested immediately, “I’m just saying that she’s got amazing battle prowess while I’m…” he shrunk a little. Kaito grew a pretty strong tolerance to prejudice over the years, but he'd be lying to himself to say the looks of pity or judgement still didn't hurt. He hates feeling weak. Anyone would. “I’m uh...quirkless.”

Kaito swears he saw the skinny blonde man fidget in his peripheral.

Nezu hummed, not seeming mind Kaito’s status so much. It felt liberating. “So is your sister, Ichika, the one with the time travel quirk?”

“W-What? No! Uh...sorry if I made you misunderstand. N-no...um… Ichika’s quirk is telekinetic explosions.” Kaito started to gush, “It’s really cool actually. She can activate random explosions within a certain radius telepathically...You guys are lucky to have her... um–wait sorry– _will_ be lucky to have her...heh heh.”

_Way to go. Smooth. Suave. I'm really going places._

“I'd hate to interrupt,” Nezu lifted his paw as a sign of apology, ”and I’m sure we will be very happy to have Ichika here at UA but–” he tilted his head, questioning. “–you didn't mention your last names yet.”

Oh...he figured _that_ out _fast_. Well, Kaito did basically give it away. Plus Ichika’s resemblance is uncanny, so it probably doesn't take much for a total genius like principle Nezu to fit the pieces together.

Kaito sighed in defeat, “B-Bakugou sir. It’s Bakugou Kaito.”

…

……

……….

“BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!” Present Mic was rolling over the floor, clenching his abs for dear life as booming laughter bounced off walls, “I–PFFFT–I SEE IT! I TOTALLY SEE IT! SHE’S–PFFT–SO MUCH LIKE HIM HOW DID I NOT NOTICE BEFORE! TH-THOSE PFFT BAKUGOU GENES ARE NO JOKE BAHAHAHAHA!!!!” He was wheezing, unable to catch his breath.

Midnight couldn't help but giggle too, failing at her attempt to remain professional.

Aizawa on the other hand remained silent. He didn't seem to be too surprised.

“Whoa whoa whoa whoa wait wait holla holla _hold on a sec_.” Kirishima still needed a minute to comprehend everything. “So you're telling me that B a k u g o u K a t s u k i,” he took his time enunciating every syllable, just in case they were talking about somebody else entirely because there was just _no way_. “Mr. Kill-This-Kill-That-Kill-Everyone, the literal _epitome_ of no chill, the guy who’d rather leap in front of a train than do anything sappy like Valentine's Day or kissing babies,” he took a deep breathe, gesturing his hands forwards to further emphasize the complete absurdity of it all, “is a _family man_?”

Kaito shrugged.

Kirishima _broke down_. Joining Present Mic on the floor, he lost all remaining sanity crying his eyes out from sweet sweet laughter. This was _rich_. This was _delectable_. This was positively, absolutely, fan- _fucking_ -tastic.

“Now now Kirishima-shonen,” the frail blonde piped in, “I'm sure Bakugou grew up to be a wonderful father figure.” He walked over to Kaito, placing a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder. “How else would we have such a nice young man with us today?” The man’s grasp was warm, grounding.

Kaito decided that he liked this man.

“My bad my bad sorry sorry,” Kirishima wiped a tear. “Don’t get me wrong I love my Bakubro, he’s a great guy, but you gotta feel a little sorry for the poor soul who ended up with him.” He chuckled, “May they Rest In Peace.”

Kaito winced.

Nezu took note of his reaction.

After letting the laughter eventually die-down into repressed chuckling, Nezu found it as an opening to continue, “What exactly caused the time traveling then? If it wasn't you or your sister that is.” He folded his paws, choosing to ignore two figures still splayed out on the floor.

Oh, how stupid of him to not elaborate. How could he forget to mention such important information? Kaito clarified, “The time travel part was neither of us.” Kaito glanced sideways at the small tabby bundled up in Eraserhead’s arms, cozy and content. At least someone was having fun.

The traitor.

“That was all Spot. She’s uh, she’s the cat…” Kaito attempted to smile, but it sort of came across as a crooked grimace instead. He couldn’t help but feel a little silly at the whole ‘the cat did it’ excuse, even if it was the truth.

“So the cat is the one with the time travel quirk?” More invested now, Nezu’s eyes seemed to glint with curiosity. “Fascinating… yes, fascinating indeed.”

But his pleasant smile soon faltered, ready to delve into more serious matters. “However, you do realize the dangers of her possessing such an ability?”

Kaito nodded frantically, “Of course sir! Of course–”

“Yet,” Nezu added, not quite finished with his admonishment, “You still chose to _experiment_ with her quirk, all while refusing to consider your safety, Spot’s safety, or even the option of conducting such procedures under _proper supervision_ , if I’m correct… _am_ I correct?”

“Well...y-yes but–“

“I know smart kids when I see them Bakugou-kun,” Nezu frowned, clear disappointment shown through his face. For some reason this hurt more than any judgment or pity Kaito was used to. “–and I’m sure that neither of you intended to travel _this far_ into the past. Tell me, do you have a way back home?”

Oh… oh boy. They’re uh–they’re gonna have to figure that part out.

“And let us not mention the possible _dire consequences_ involved when altering the fabric of time. Even small actions can be amplified through a ripple effect. It is not just your safety at risk here Bakugou-kun.”

Yes. Yes he understood all that. _They both_ understood all that, but Kaito still couldn’t fight against the bit of anger beginning to bubble inside.

Maybe it was selfish, and maybe they were careless, but this wasn’t just anyone they were trying to save. They–they just _had_ to...

Because the world would be better off with loving smiles, green hair, and kind laughter.  
  
The world would be better off with his gentle presence that weaved its way into your heart, encompassing you within a sense of warm security,

inspiring you to be good… to be _better_.

“S-Sir if I may–”

“So now here we are,” Nezu continued, gesturing between them as if to further prove his point, “You are stuck in a completely different time–no–a completely different _world_ , without any fail safes or guides to bring you back–“

_No, no that’s not it. That’s not the problem._

“–already altering our future as it is by sitting here in front of me–“

_You don’t get it. You don’t understand._

“–shaking the foundations of time and fate that your world is built off of because of what? To quench your curiosity? Discovery? Or perhaps…” Nezu eyebrows narrowed,

“Regret?”

Kaito saw red.

**_“Now you fucking listen!”_ **

The room stilled. No one expected such an outburst.

Nezu waited, patient.

The boy was standing up, chest heaving and hands trembling in anger. Kaito clenched his fists violently to stop the shaking. Maybe if he dug his fingernails deep enough into his palms, far enough to draw pain, the rush of blood surging through his head would pale in comparison.

It still wasn’t enough.

“You’re right, okay? You’re completely right about everything always, but _you know what_?” He jabbed his thumb to his chest, “If I was given the chance to do it again, I would.” He jabbed himself again, but harder. “I would do it the same way a hundred times. Yes, it did go wrong. Yes we were careless. But it’s _so_ worth it. It’s worth _everything_.”

“Bakugou-shonen…” the thin blonde man’s voice was soft, concerned.

Kaito didn’t care.

“I-I watched my Dad use _every bit_ of his remaining strength to protect me. He was so broken down by the end of it. I _saw him_.” Kaito’s voice started to break. “I-I watched him _die_.”

The room was deathly silent.

“And I couldn’t just sit by and do nothing _again_. I don’t give a _fuck_ what any of you’ve got to say about it because–because some people...”

Kaito thought of bright smiles that saved hearts.

He thought of strong scarred arms that lifted the weight of the world.

He thought of lightning fast legs that ran towards every corner of the earth to kick ass, yet always ran back home in time for bedtime stories.

“Some people are _worth saving_.”

Another moment of silence.

Kirishima piped in, hesitant, “I-Is Bakugou okay?” He appeared to show genuine distress for his friend. Kaito felt a little bad for causing a misunderstanding.

“No, no he’s fine. He's not the one who died. it’s…” Kaito became quiet again, “It’s our...other Dad.” He looked down, unable to keep eye contact with anyone anymore.

After releasing all that pent up anger, Kaito found himself to be more at peace now, yet also a bit embarrassed. He hoped his outburst didn’t crush any chances of attending this school. True, he couldn’t really help himself during the heat of the moment, and even now remained defensive of his opinion, but throwing away his future would still be unfortunate. Well, he doubted UA would hold a grudge for thirty years, so he’d probably be fine… right?

“I apologize for prodding on such a sensitive subject Bakugou-kun, it was inconsiderate of me,” Nezu apologized.

Oh...okay good...they’re good...cool cool.

Kaito sputtered, “A-ah no no. I’m the one who sorta lost it there no need to apologize.” Realizing he was still standing up, Kaito sheepishly sat himself down again. Well, now it was just awkward.

Nezu raised his paw, “No, it was me who provoked you in the first place without a full understanding of your situation. I'm not all-knowing after all.”

Kaito couldn't help but let out a small chuckle at that. Hearing it from Nezu of all people was a bit ironic.

“However, I do encourage you to proceed with caution from here on out. I don't think it’ll do any of us good to reveal too much of the future now will it?”

Kaito shook his head.

Nezu hummed, “For now, I think it will be wise for you two to stay in the teacher’s dorms until we figure out a way to bring you back home. However, we'd like to keep an eye on Spot here for a bit, if you don't mind.”

Kaito opened his mouth to protest.

“Don't worry, Eraserhead is only going to hold on to her just in case. She’ll still be around,” Nezu assured.

Okay, he could agree to that. Kaito trusted Aizawa to take care of her well.

“I can bring him to the dorms!” Kirishima volunteered, happy to help out. Kaito internally thanked the world for bestowing such a wholesome person at such perfect timing. His bright attitude was enough to break the previously tense atmosphere, presence reassuring.

Kirishima slapped Kaito’s back, encouraging him to follow. It caused a fuzzy, warm feeling to crawl inside Kaito’s stomach. The gesture probably meant nothing to Kirishima, but it meant a lot to Kaito. It validated him, as if he were ‘one of the guys’. Kaito wondered if this was what having friends was like.

As they made their way to the exit, Nezu added one last remark,

“I expect good things, Bakugou-kun.”

Black eyes met green, a moment of silent agreement from both sides.

Kaito took one last look at the principle before nodding, shutting the door behind him as they left.

  
“He really is so much like them.”

 

________________________________________________________________

 

Kaito didn’t really get the chance to relish being inside UA before, since he was preoccupied by Eraserhead’s frightening hold practically dragging him and his sister to Principle Nezu’s office. But now that it was just him and Red Riot—or...um… Kirishima now? It was still mind boggling how they were on equal, friendly terms. He was a bit eager to rub it in Ichika’s face later, after her interrogation with Nezu that is—he could bask in the glory of touring his dream school. He guessed he could’ve looked around earlier when Ichika snuck him into campus, but he was busy with thoughts of jumping off forty floors so what can you do really?

But _wow_. He was in _UA_. Sure, it’s not as big right now, but it’s still _ginormous_. Also, the thought of being in the same version of UA where so many amazing heroes of his time were cultivated made him giddy with excitement—he included Hatsume Mei as one of them, since she saved countless lives through her tech, a hero not necessarily by name but through actions.

Kirishima chuckled, “A fan of Hatsume huh? She’s a pretty cool person. Kinda crazy, but in a good way. It doesn’t surprise me that she’s gonna be famous in the future.”

Oh, he was mumbling again. Can’t he not be embarrassing for one minute? Jeez.

Kaito’s cheeks flushed a dark red, “Ummm yeah… I really like her. Her tech’s amazing. You can really tell how she doesn’t just take the hero’s needs into account, but also the safety of civilians too when designing gear, especially destructive kinds. I-I respect her a lot.” He then flailed his hands, “O-Oh but I’m a huge fan of yours too! Maybe not as much as Ichika, but that’s just cus she’s probably the biggest Red Riot fan out there, but I still think you’re really cool!”

Kirishima scratches his scalp, not sure how to take the praise, “A-Ah thanks that’s nice of you man. Not gonna lie I’m not sure how I feel about having fans since I’m not _really_ a hero yet.”

“Oh?” Kaito tilted his head, inquisitive. “I was wondering...but um… what year are you guys in? Aren’t you doing internships and stuff?”

“Oh we’re second years...so yeah, we are. I’ve experienced some action under Fatgum last year actually, though after this year’s sports festival I got some more offers, so I’m not sure what to do from here…”

Kaito hummed.

“But hey! I’ll figure out somethin’!” Kirishima fist pumped the air. Kaito smiled at his enthusiasm.

_“Kirishima!”_

They looked towards the source of the sound, gazes meeting three figures approaching from down the hall.

Kaito recognized them immediately.

Pinky, Cellophane, and Chargebolt. Sure, they were younger now, but their distinct features made it crystal clear exactly who they were.

Pinky skipped in their direction, “Man we were searching everywhere for you! You totally ghosted us for hours where’ve you been?” Seeming to notice Kaito, she smiled, “Who’s this?”

Kirishima spoke, “Oh this is Ba–“

“Kaito!” Kaito interrupted, “Call me Kaito!”

Kirishima clapped his hands together and mouthed a silent apology. Introducing him as a Bakugou would’ve complicated things.

“Ooo first name basis I see! Bold! I like it!” She threw some finger guns and winked, “You can call me Mina then!”

Chargebolt saluted, “Sup, I’m Denki.”

Cellophane nodded, “Guess you can call me Sero then.”

Kaito may or may not have been internally freaking out at the moment. He was in a first name basis, with _heroes_. Somebody pinch him.

Okay _sure_ , his Dads are the top heroes in the world, but they don’t really count since they’re his parents so…

“N-n-nice t-to m-m-meet y-you.”

_Goddamit I’m one sentence in and I’m already screwing this up._

“Pfahh! No need to be so shy!” Mina slung an arm around his shoulders, “Where’d you get this lil’ cutie Kirishima? Hey, you a first year?”

“Uuuuuuummmmmm.”

_I’m such a shitty liar I’m such a shitty liar why why why! How on Earth am I gonna survive this place if I gotta lie to everyone about everything ahhhh_

Kirishima stepped in, “Ummm, yeah! My buddy Kaito here’s in theee…umm… Support Course! Yeah! A freshie freshmeat Support Course student...heh.” He gave Kaito’s back a good pat.

Mina and Sero bought into it at least, unable to detect anything suspicious about their blatantly awkward behavior.

Kaminari on the other hand raised his eyebrows. He knew a lying Kirishima when he saw one.

He still chose to play it off cool though, “Do you wanna hang with us? We were planning on making some pizza together in the dorms. You should help.” Kaminari pointed his thumb in said direction.

Kaito and Kirishima panicked. Sputters of ‘umm he’s busy’ and ‘I don’t know if that’s a good idea’ ignored as they were dragged down the halls by three very persistent teenagers.

Kaito eventually just gave into the tide, letting his limp body get pushed and pulled through halls. A part of him remained anxious, nagging at him to fight back since there was _no way_ this would be a smart idea.

But a stronger voice in his head told him to just let it happen.

This was so different than what he was used to: a bizarre combination of special treatment and isolation due to his parents’ fame and his lack of quirk. Being in such a friendly environment by kids his age wasn’t something he was familiar with.

He was more acquainted with people backing off—mainly because he was quirkless and weird to be honest. But he didn’t get bullied, no. People were too terrified of his parents to pull anything funny.

What was worse than isolation, however, was being treated with fake, shiny smiles; peers that tried to get on the ‘poor quirkless kid’s’ good side to score some petty attention from his hero parents. Kaito wasn’t fucking stupid. He could sniff out bullshit a mile away.

But these people, they weren’t hanging out with him for self gain. They seemed to genuinely want to get to _know_ him.

Their smiles weren’t shiny or rehearsed. No, not even close. Not at all.

Their laughter was warm, their touches were welcoming, and their jokes were hilariously stupid.

And Kaito was stupidly happy.

 

So happy that he almost didn’t notice the sounds of footsteps nearby

along with a familiar, sadistic voice that plagued his nights accompanied by images of murky water and desperate, green eyes.

 

**“Awww is somebody still upset about not getting into the hero course? Still moping about your loss at the Sports Festival?”**

“I told you, Mizukawa, I don’t wanna hear you teasing me about that anymore.”

**“But there’s no fun in that~”**

 

  
_No. No way it can’t be. She–she can’t be here it’s impossible. That woman can’t be here. This is UA, what would she be doing here? Why is she here?_

Kaito was frozen solid, eyes glossed over as memories flooded his thoughts: clawing through water for dear life while choking for air, watching his father’s broken body before him, seeing the hopelessness in Dad’s eyes, the pain.

So much pain.

He didn’t want to believe it, but he couldn’t forget her voice. Even if it was a little different, disguised under youthful years, he knew it was her. He’ll never forget anything about her.

Never.

“Hey, Kaito? Ya good man?” Kirishima grabbed his shoulder, concerned eyes searching Kaito’s face for any response.

“I-It’s her,” Kaito’s voice was deadly quiet, mumbling almost incoherent.

“What?”

He didn’t respond. No explanation given at all.

Instead Kaito pivoted, and _ran_.

Ignoring shouts of alarm directed at him from behind, he was too focused on finding her.

Kaito knew how idiotic he was being. But he _had_ _to know_. He had to see her for himself. He didn’t know what he’d do once he reached her, but he knew he still _had_ _to_.

He needed to see if it was her for himself.

Running at full speed, he turned the corner, and

 

  
**SLAM**

 

**_“Ahh! I’m so sorry! Are you okay?”_ **

 

 

Kaito was on the ground now, head spinning and butt aching from colliding with hard tiles. Books and papers were sprawled all over the floor. He must’ve crashed into somebody while in a hurry.

As his vision began to clear, his gaze met with a scarred hand reaching out to him, offering to help him up.

**_“Do you want me to take you to Recovery Girl? Here, let me take you.”_ **

Kaito’s eyes trailed higher, meeting an almost identical set of green to his own.

 

  
No.

 

No no no no.

  
Soft curls and a gentle face. Freckles dotting cheekbones with starry constellations. Scars littering almost every inch of his muscular arms.

He was much smaller than the man he knew, and his face was plumper.

But those eyes. The kindness in those eyes are the same.

They’re _exactly_ the same.

 

  
**_“Ahh! Y-You’re crying! I’m so sorry!”_ **

 

  
Ah, he was crying wasn’t he? Hot, fat tears slid down his cheeks, trickling onto scattered papers, staining them salty drop after drop.

The tears wouldn’t stop falling.

“Kaito! Kaito are you okay?”

Was that Kirishima? Maybe. He didn’t bother to check or care.

Those piercing green orbs were all that mattered.   
Everything else became dim in comparison.

More concerned voices echoed across. Footsteps approached from the distance.

The scarred hand in front of him drew closer.

 

  
And Kaito batted it away.

He ignored the magnetic longing to take that hand, to run into those arms and finally get what’s been missing from his life. To cry into that chest, releasing snot and tears everywhere without a care in the world.

Isn’t this what he wanted? Isn’t this what he needed to fill this empty void? Isn’t his Dad right there?

No, not like this. He didn’t want it like this.

So Kaito did the only thing he knew how to do under pain.

 

He got up and ran.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooowee he met his daddy and his daddy's murderers all in one day whoopdeedoo. Also I know the update is late but I've been super busy with work. But don't worry I promise I'm alive! I updated this chapter to prove it see?


	6. Two Bros One Stall

 

 

 

 

“Kaito? Kaito where are you?” 

 

Kaminari only needed one break. Make pizza, relax with friends. Basically anything to push away thoughts of their impending English test—which he definitely won't study for. That’s all he asks. Just one break. 

 

“Hey! Kaito! Where'd ya go? Kaito!”

 

But no. 

 

No breaks for Kaminari Denki. 

 

Instead, he's been jogging through the halls for a good ten minutes searching corridor after corridor for a certain someone. Why'd Kaito bolt all of a sudden? Hell if he'd know. He thought they were having a pretty good time earlier, though it did take their new group member a little bit of opening up first before comfortably settling in, which Kaminari was completely okay with. Kaito was a cool kid. Sure a bit on the quiet side, but a friendly guy nonetheless. 

 

“Everyone’s looking for you man!”

 

Yet just when their new group member started to finally vibe with everyone, he...stopped? Froze? 

 

Changed. Kaito changed. 

 

There was something in those glossed-over eyes that rubbed Kaminari the wrong way. Something  _ haunting _ . And after crashing into Midoriya, they morphed into this whole different realm of despair that Kaminari barely processed before the kid shot up and dashed off again.

 

He took a deep breathe and belted, “Kaaiiiiitooooo! Everyone's looking for you! Kaaaaiiiiiitoooooooo!”

 

Well,  _ almost  _ everyone was looking for him. 

 

Everyone except Midoriya that is. 

  
  
  
  
  


_ “H-Hey Midoriya I don't know if it's a good idea for you to follow him…”  Kirishima’s hand kept a firm grip on Midoriya’s arm. Already poised for action, Midoriya hesitated, blinking up at Kirishima with confused eyes. He was a bit thrown off from the gesture. Helping people is instinctual for him. Odd of Kirishima to interrupt.  _

 

_ (Why would you stop him? Midoriya can help. That's what he always does.) _

 

_ “B-But,” Midoriya protested, pointing a finger in the direction where Kaito left, “I was just going to–” _

 

_ “Listen man I swear it’s nothing personal. He didn't react that way because you bumped into each other. I promise. It’s just…” Kirishima’s forehead wrinkled in thought. He struggled with his words, _

 

_ (Why do you look like that? What's worrying you so much?) _

 

_ “It's just that Kaito’s been having a hard time lately and uh–” Kirishima paused, stumbling to find the best possible answer, “–I think you sort of...remind him of some stuff?”  _

 

_ (You're closed off today. It doesn't feel right.) _

 

_ Midoriya slumped a little. Intentional or not, the mere notion of causing distress towards anyone silenced him quick. He’s wired to save people from pain, not cause it. _

 

_ “You didn't do anything wrong though!” Kirishima patted his back. “It’s hard for me to say and I really wanna explain properly but… it’s not my place...sorry.” He managed to force an apologetic smile.  _

 

_ (I want to know.) _

 

_ A bit reluctant, Midoriya agreed, “Mmm… okay… I understand. Tell him I said sorry for me? And that–and that I hope he'll feel better about whatever has been bothering him?”  _

 

_ Kirishima smiled and nodded. Shoulders more relaxed, he turned to face everyone else, “Can the rest of you guys help me find Kaito though? It'll be faster if we split up...Kaminari?” _

 

_ (No splitting. I want to go with you.) _

 

_ “Kaminari?” Kirishima repeated, red eyes expectant. “Kaminari, can you help?” _

 

_ (Why won't you talk to me Kirishima?) _

 

_ (We're friends right?) _

 

_ Kaminari answered, “...Mkay” _

  
  
  
  
  


The rapid clunking of footsteps slowed to a halt in the middle of the hallway.

 

Kirishima’s moments of abnormal behavior today kept flashing through his mind—first when introducing Kaito, and later towards Midoriya. Kaminari assumed it was all in his head at first since no one else took notice. He wasn't so sure now though. 

 

Wait...no…he should respect Kirishima’s space like a proper friend, take his word, and roll with it. Besides, they needed to find Kaito (since according to Kirishima Kaito needed to be at the teacher’s dorm ASAP).

 

Finding Kaito takes priority. Talking to Kirishima can come later.

 

“Now…” Kaminari spoke to himself, pensive. “If I needed to blow off some steam, where would I go?” He tapped his foot, gaze scanning the area for possible clues-

  
  


**Men’s Restroom**

  
  
  


“Bingo.”

  
  
  


He pushed the door open and popped inside. immediately taking notice of a pair of bright, orange, neon shoes peeking out from underneath the handicap stall, their obnoxious color impossible to miss. Suppressed hiccups and sniffles reverberated from the same direction, almost inaudible if it weren’t for the spacious bathroom’s acoustics that forced even the smallest of sounds to come out of hiding. 

 

“Kaito? Kaito is that you?”

 

The hiccups died down almost instantly. 

 

“Uhhhh… Kaito?”

  
  
  
  


No response.

  
  
  
  


Well then, if the only person currently occupying the bathroom refused to answer, then there was really only one way for Kaminari to confirm if they were who he was looking for.

 

Kaminari walked over, crouched down on all fours, and stuck his head underneath the stall door, sliding his neck through the bottom opening like some painfully inaccurate game of limbo. 

 

Craning his neck sideways, Kaminari looked up,

 

“Ah… There you are man.”

 

His gaze met with a horrified set of green eyes, completely focused on the disembodied-looking blond head just casually protruding out from underneath the door. 

 

He resembled those curious, misguided children at public bathrooms who peep underneath stalls. But at least those children had the decency to remain  _ outside _ the stall.  _ This child,  _ however, had his whole head sticking in without an inkling of shame.

 

Seated on the toilet seat, Kaito stuttered, “W-What...what are you d-doing down there?”

 

Kaminari, clearly misunderstanding the point of the question, blinked twice, “I was looking for you!” 

 

He then flashed a smile, unaware of his inappropriate amount of enthusiasm given their situation.

 

Distressed, Kaito shimmied even further towards the back of the toilet seat, curling his legs up into his chest. Lanky arms wrapped around knees in a futile attempt to form any sort of barrier from this unwanted intruder. “C-Can you leave please? Or at least not be in that position? I feel a little violated right now…”

 

“Are you taking a shit?

 

“W-what?! No!”

 

“Then it’s cool right?”

 

“W-Well I  _ could’ve  _ been taking a shit!” 

 

“...Ah...” Kaminari blinked again, just now realizing how compromising his position may have been, “Whelp…”

 

“Well can you  _ leave now _ ?”

 

“Oh yeah gotcha gotcha.” 

 

Kaminari tried crawling backwards, only to find himself banging the back of his head against the stall door. “Shit!”

 

Kaito couldn’t suppress his snort.

 

“Dude are you laughing at me right now?” Kaminari faked an offended tone.

 

Kaito leapt up from the toilet seat and sporadically waved his hands in protest, “W-What no! I wasn’t–I wasn’t! Do you need help? Are you stuck–here, I’ll help.” He walked over to unlock the door.

 

Still crouched over on all fours, Kaminari shook his head, “Nah man I’m good. I just need to duck this time I got it.”

 

“N-No! Here let me–“

 

“No! I’m good–I know what I’m doing–“

 

“No please I insist–“

 

Kaito tried opening the stall door, but miscalculated, and accidentally slammed it into Kaminari’s head again.

 

Only this time, Kaminari’s head bounced forwards in recoil. 

 

There was a clean  _ smack  _ as his face made contact with hard tiles.

 

“AH! CH-CHARGEBO–NO–D-DENKI-SAN I’M SO SORRY!” Frantic, Kaito kneeled down next to Kaminari. Afraid of making things worse, Kaito hesitated, unsure of whether or not touching him would be a good idea, though it seemed unlikely it could get any worse than this.

 

Kaminari’s face was still plastered against the ground, both his nose and head throbbing in pain‍.

 

It was all word vomit from there, “D-do you need ice? Are you hurt? No–that’s stupid–of course you’re hurting that impact was really loud-ah I’m so sorry. Oh my god I can’t believe I actually did that how careless of me. I promise I’ll make it up for you somehow. Do you want me to...“ 

 

Voice muffled against tiles, Kaminari interrupted, “No! Imf vine, bon’t vorri bou fit.” He brought his arm up and grabbed the unlocked door from behind, pulling it over his head with slow caution. When the door eventually swung across, he deemed it safe to stand up again. On his feet now, he brushed himself off and reassured Kaito once more, “Hah it’s okay. I’m used to getting thrown around during Hero Class all the time so this is nothing for me.”

 

That was a lie. It hurt a lot. 

 

Though Kaito was still fidgeting with guilt, he at least seemed to buy into the whole tough hero act which Kaminari was grateful for. He didn’t want to add on any more stress to the poor guy. 

 

Especially since that now Kaminari had a closer view, Kaito’s bloated, tear stained face was hard to overlook. Not to mention his alarmingly dark eyebags. 

 

_ (Just how much sleep has this guy been getting?) _

 

Overall, this kid was a complete mess. 

 

Kaminari spoke, “Listen, uh, everyone’s kind of looking for you right now. Kirishima says that you gotta be someplace soon...” Kaito’s face darkened, and Kaminari immediately regretted it. “But you don’t have to rush anything. I can give you more space if you need some...they’ll understand,” he added.

 

Without saying a word, Kaito nodded and walked back over to the toilet seat, reverting to his balled up position from earlier. 

 

Damn, he turned dark again real quick. 

 

Kaminari hated this shift in atmosphere. He’d rather have Kaito laughing at his clumsy collision with the door again. 

 

Handling emotionally distressed people was not his forte. Which is pretty ridiculous when he thought about it. He was training to be a hero wasn’t he? A profession that literally stems off of helping emotionally distressed people. 

 

He couldn’t help but wonder what Kirishima would do if he were here. Probably make things a lot less tense he’d bet. 

 

“Do you...uh...do you want to talk about it?”

 

Yeah, he’s shit at this.

 

Kaito shook his head, still balled up with his face pressed against his knees. 

 

Kaminari tried again, “Do you...want me to stay here? Keep you company?”

 

Kaito paused...then shrugged his shoulders.

 

_ (Okay… we’re making little bit of progress I think.) _

 

Kaminari walked over and sat down against the wall about three feet away from Kaito, who still hasn’t budged from his position on the toilet seat.

 

There was a long pause, neither making a move to further any conversation. Only the occasional pattering of footsteps, accompanied by some murmuring voices from outside, broke their peaceful silence. 

 

Much to Kaminari’s surprise, the silence turned out to be momentary.

 

“D-Did I…” Kaito’s tone was hesitant, soft. Eye contact remained glued to his knees, “Did I worry everyone? Is um… Mi–“ He paused for a brief second, taking a short breath before continuing, “Midoriya okay?” The way Midoriya’s name rolled off his tongue almost seemed...unsure. As if the words in his mouth felt unnatural.

 

Denki answered, “Dude, if anything we were all wondering if  _ you  _ were okay.” He then recalled Midoriya’s request to Kirishima earlier, “Midoriya also wanted us to tell you that he was sorry, and that he hoped you’d feel better about whatever’s bothering you.” Denki couldn’t bring himself to try meeting Kaito’s gaze while speaking, though he doubted Kaito would look back anyways. It felt as if it would be an invasion of privacy. It just…

wasn’t appropriate. So Kaminari kept his eyes on the floor.

 

Kaito remained quiet.

 

Kaminari waited a beat, then began to speak again, “I can bring Midoriya here. So you can talk it out… If you wanna.”

 

No response.

 

Kaminari took this as a cue to break his eye contact with the floor and check on Kaito, but the result was worrisome.

 

Kaito was shaking. 

 

No sniffling. No noise. Nothing.

 

It was unclear whether it was the type of trembling due to fear, or if Kaito was a silent crier: choosing to suffer quietly rather than let out even a whimper. In this moment, Kaminari decided that he hated silent crying the most. 

 

It was much harder to watch.

 

“H-hey,” afraid of stirring him up, Kaminari kept his voice as gentle as possible. He scooted closer, “I won’t bring him if you don’t want to. I promise.” 

 

Kaito grip became tighter, arms pulling his legs closer to his torso.

 

“Unless...you want me to?”

 

_ “Please.”  _ Kaito’s voice was shaky, desperate. He buried his face further into his knees, “I’m–I’m not ready. I-I’m–“ His breathing became harsher, ragged, desperate.

 

Shit.

 

“O-Okay,” Kaminari assured, sympathetic eyes focused on the hunched figure before him, “It’s okay. I won’t bring him then, alright? You’re good okay? Deep breathes man. Deep breathes.”

 

Kaminari began breathing in and out slowly, motioning Kaito to follow. Kaito did, trembling breathes growing less strained after a few repetitions. 

 

When Kaito seemed to be calm again, another silence encompassed the room.

 

“Thank you,” Kaito managed to let out weakly.

 

“Don’t mention it. You’re a good guy. It’s the least I can do.”

 

Kaito’s eyebrows seemed to furrow at that. He seemed...doubtful.

 

“Why? Do you…” Kaminari had to prod carefully, “do you not think you’re a good guy? Ya seem like one. Real nice and chill.”

 

“I...I don’t know.” Kaito’s face seemed pensive, conflicted. He paused, eyes drifting forwards onto the wall across the room. Though to Kaminari, they appeared to be somewhere else entirely, distant. “Do… do good people ditch funerals?”

 

_ (What? What does that mean? How am I supposed to respond to something like that?) _

 

“Um…” A sweat drop trickled down Kaminari’s forehead, hesitating over how to answer. “Depends on their situation?”

 

“Then…” Kaito’s gaze finally met Kaminari’s for the first time, “Then if I...if I didn’t cry...at a funeral...does that make me a bad person?” It seemed more like a rhetorical question, but the hint of expectancy in emerald eyes made Kaminari question otherwise.

 

Kaminari hummed.

 

Memories of red hair, toothy grins, and unwavering confidence crossed his mind.

 

“I don’t think so.” Kaminari nodded, more to himself, though Kaito still took notice. “Some of the bravest people out there, like All Might–“

 

_ (Like Kirishima.) _

 

“–always smile, even while all hell breaks loose around them. Which, I guess when you think about it, is kinda insane. Maybe even inappropriate. But they smile anyways, cus they’re strong–“

 

Kaito broke Kaminari off, “It’s not the same,” he shook his head, “I-I’m not the same. I’m not like Da– I mean All Might. I’m not strong.” He pursed his lips in irritation, clearly directed towards himself, “I didn’t smile. I wasn’t there for anyone. I  _ left.  _ Like a complete dick, I just  _ ran. _ ” Fists clenched against jeans, turning white at the knuckles. “I didn’t even  _ cry _ for fucks sake. Not because I wanted to reassure my friends and family. Not because I wanted to be strong for them. It was because I  _ couldn’t _ . I don’t know why, but I couldn’t bring myself to. At least, not until today.” He scoffed weakly at that last bit. “I’m unbelievable aren’t I.”

 

“No,” Kaminari interjected, “You’re not.” He looked up at the ceiling in thought, “This is gonna sound off topic, but I’ve been through a handful of run ins with villain, so I’ve seen my fair share of victims, and ya know what I’ve noticed?” 

 

Kaito didn’t answer, but still glanced at Kaminari curiously.

 

Kaminari didn’t wait for a response, “I noticed that all sorts of people react in different ways: some cry, some freeze, some fight, some run…” He saw Kaito shrink a little in his peripheral, so Kaminari quickly added on, “So you don’t have to feel bad about how you cope with things. Not all people react to bad situations, to grief, the same, and it’s not a crime. You do you ya know?”

 

Kaito was still quiet, not completely convinced but at least seemed to take Kaito’s words into consideration. 

 

Another silence.

 

Kaminari couldn’t help but find his gaze mindlessly scanning Kaito’s form. He started to pick out a few characteristics that now, when Kaminari thought about it, struck him as oddly familiar. Emerald eyes, freckles, restless fidgeting.

 

Kaminari chuckled nervously, “Yo, uh totally random thought, are you and Midoriya cousins or something?”

 

Kaito froze.

 

“I mean I’m just saying that you guys look kind of similar. You also have that  _ really _ polite vibe Midoriya has. In a good way of course.”

 

“...”

 

“Actually I’m probably wrong. He’d mention if you were family, duh. I take it back never mind.”

 

Kaito exhaled in relief? “Hah...hah hah. My face is pretty common. I get confused with other people a lot...hah.”

 

“Hahahahaha.”

 

“Ha...ha….yeah. Oh wow look at the time.” Kaito shot up and began to walk towards the stall door.

 

“Time? It’s not that late what’s the rush?” He was so reluctant in leaving the bathroom two minutes ago but now he was itching to get out. Kaminari couldn’t keep up with this unpredictable behavior. Did he do something wrong maybe? 

 

“Oh you know,” Kaito pointed to his watch-less wrist. “Can’t waste a minute of it. Time I mean.” He reached for the metal knob.

 

“Really? Okay then I guess we could-“

 

A new voice chimed in, “Oi shit for brains is that you?”

 

Kaito squeaked, “Nevermind!” 

 

Before he could blink, Kaminari was violently shoved out the stall followed by the door slamming shut behind him. Now there were a pair of red eyes examining him inquisitively.

 

“Oh, hey Bakugou.”

 

Having just entered the restroom, the blonde stood only a foot away from the urinal. His lax posture turned a bit more alert than usual, eyebrows raised ever so slightly. His gaze shifted back and forth between Kaminari, the stall door, and the pair of neon shoes peeking underneath. 

 

Bakugou’s eyes widened in realization.

 

“No!” Kaminari corrected immediately, “We were just… this isn’t… we’re just–“ His hands waved frantically between him and where Kaito hid.

 

“I honestly don’t know, don’t wanna know, don’t care.” Bakugou shoved his hands in his pockets and pivoted.

 

“Wait! Bakugou! He just needed some comfort it’s not like tha–“

 

“Oh god don’t bother with the specifics I get it.” The groan that escaped Bakugou’s lips carried the exhaustion of a man far beyond his years, fed up and done with everything. He walked towards the exit while shaking his head in disapproval. “I can’t get any fucking peace anywhere. A guy can’t even take a piss anymore Jesus Christ.”

 

“Bakugou stop!”

 

“Fuck that.” The exit slammed shut.

  
  
  


Yeah. Just one break is what Kaminari needs. One would do.

  
  


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hah you thought. There will be no future x past character smashing this isn't that type of fic you nasties. Though the chapter title is misleading sorry about that. 
> 
> Also I'm alive. Waow.


End file.
